Contemporary comparison of infective endocarditis caused by Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis: a cohort study

Among 1655 consecutive patients with infective endocarditis treated from 1998 to 2020 in three tertiary care centres, 16 were caused by Candida albicans (CAIE, n = 8) and Candida parapsilosis (CPIE, n = 8). Compared to CAIE, CPIE were more frequently community-acquired. Prosthetic valve involvement was remarkably more common among patients with CPIE. CPIE cases presented a higher rate of positive blood cultures at admission, persistently positive blood cultures after antifungals initiation and positive valve cultures. All patients but four underwent cardiac surgery. Urgent surgery was more frequently performed in CPIE. No differences regarding in-hospital mortality were documented, even after adjusting for therapeutic management.

Accuracy of 18F-FDG PET/CT in patients with the suspicion of cardiac implantable electronic device infections

BACKGROUND

Utility of 18F-FDG PET/CT in diagnosing infective endocarditis (IE) associated with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) is not well established. Current ESC guidelines recommend the use of FDG-PET imaging in patients with CIEDs and positive blood cultures, but the number of studies evaluating the diagnostic performance of FDG-PET imaging in these patients remain limited. Our objective was to assess the diagnostic yield of 18F-FDG PET/CT in patients with suspected CIED infections, differentiating between pocket infection (PI) and lead infection (CIED-IE).

METHODS AND RESULTS

From 2013 to 2018, all patients (n = 63) admitted to a hospital with suspected CIED infection were prospectively recruited, undergoing a diagnostic work-up including a PET/CT. Explanted devices and material from the pocket were cultured. 14 cases corresponded to isolated PI and 13 were categorized as CIED-IE. Considering radionuclide uptake in the intracardiac portion of the lead, sensitivity and specificity of PET/CT for CIED-IE were 38.5% and 98.0%, respectively. Positive (19.2) and negative (0.6) likelihood ratio values, suggest that a positive PET/CT is much more probable to correspond to a patient with CIED-IE, whereas it is not possible to exclude this diagnosis when negative. For PI, sensitivity and specificity were 72.2% and 95.6%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The yield of 18F-FDG PET/CT for suspected CIED infections differs depending on the site of infection. Due to very high specificity but poor sensitivity, negative studies must be interpreted with caution if the suspicion of CIED-IE is high.

Reassessment of vegetation size as a sole indication for surgery in left-sided infective endocarditis

BACKGROUND

Guidelines recommend surgery in left-sided infective endocarditis (LSIE) associated with large vegetations. Given that most patients who undergo surgery also have other indications (heart failure and/or uncontrolled infection), it is not settled whether surgery should be routinely recommended in patients with large vegetations but no other predictors of poor outcome.

METHODS

A total of 726 patients with definitive LSIE were included in our analysis. Mean age was 64.9 years, 61% were male. Multivariate analysis of all patients was performed to determine if vegetation size is related to death in LSIE. Then, patients were divided in two groups according to vegetation size: Group A (>10 mm, n=420) and group B (≤10 mm, n=306). Univariate and multivariate analyses of group A patients were carried out to identify the variables related to death in this group. Impact of surgery on mortality of group A patients without heart failure or uncontrolled local infection (n=139) was assessed.

RESULTS

Age, Staphylococcus aureus, perivalvular complications, heart failure, kidney failure and septic shock, but not vegetation size, were associated with death. Patients with large vegetations showed increased mortality (31.7% in group A vs 24.8% in group B, p=0.045). Group A had more valve rupture and valve regurgitation than group B, but heart failure (55% vs 53%, p=0.678), stroke (22% vs 17.0%, p=0.091), systemic embolism (39% vs 32%, p=0.074), perivalvular complication (28% vs 28%, p=0.865) or septic shock (15% vs 13%, p=0.288) were similar in both groups. In patients from group A without heart failure or uncontrolled infection mortality was similar with and without surgery (n=139; n=70 with surgery, n=69 without surgery; mortality 18.6% vs 11.6% respectively, p=0.251).

CONCLUSIONS

large vegetations identify patients with poor outcome in LSIE. However, surgery is not associated with a better prognosis in patients with large vegetations if they do not present with another predictor of poor outcome such as heart failure or uncontrolled infection. These findings challenge whether vegetation size alone should be an indication for surgery in LSIE.

Cancer and Infective Endocarditis: Characteristics and Prognostic Impact

Background: The interplay between cancer and IE has become of increasing interest. This study sought to assess the prevalence, baseline characteristics, management, and outcomes of IE cancer patients in the ESC EORP EURO-ENDO registry.

Methods: Three thousand and eighty-five patients with IE were identified based on the ESC 2015 criteria. Three hundred and fifty-nine (11.6%) IE cancer patients were compared to 2,726 (88.4%) cancer-free IE patients.

Results: In cancer patients, IE was mostly community-acquired (74.8%). The most frequently identified microorganisms were S. aureus (25.4%) and Enterococci (23.8%). The most frequent complications were acute renal failure (25.9%), embolic events (21.7%) and congestive heart failure (18.1%). Theoretical indication for cardiac surgery was not significantly different between groups (65.5 vs. 69.8%, P = 0.091), but was effectively less performed when indicated in IE patients with cancer (65.5 vs. 75.0%, P = 0.002). Compared to cancer-free IE patients, in-hospital and 1-year mortality occurred in 23.4 vs. 16.1%, P = 0.006, and 18.0 vs. 10.2%; P < 0.001, respectively. In IE cancer patients, predictors of mortality by multivariate analysis were creatinine > 2 mg/dL, congestive heart failure and unperformed cardiac surgery (when indicated).

Conclusions: Cancer in IE patients is common and associated with a worse outcome. This large, observational cohort provides new insights concerning the contemporary profile, management, and clinical outcomes of IE cancer patients across a wide range of countries.

Acute Aortic Syndrome Revisited: JACC State-of-the-Art Review

The purpose of this paper is to describe all available evidence on the distinctive features of a group of 4 life-threatening acute aortic pathologies gathered under the name of acute aortic syndrome (AAS). The epidemiology, diagnostic strategy, and management of these patients has been updated. The authors propose a new and simple diagnostic algorithm to support clinical decision making in cases of suspected AAS, thereby minimizing diagnostic delays, misdiagnoses, and unnecessary advanced imaging. AAS-related entities are reviewed, and a guideline to avoid imaging misinterpretation is provided. Centralization of patients with AAS in high-volume centers with high-volume surgeons is key to improving clinical outcomes. Thus, the role of multidisciplinary teams, an "aorta code" (streamlined emergent care pathway), and aortic centers in the management of these patients is boosted. A tailored patient treatment approach for each of these acute aortic entities is needed, and as such has been summarized. Finally, a set of prevention measures against AAS is discussed.

Prognostic Value of the PROFUND Index for 30-Day Mortality in Acute Heart Failure

Background and Objectives: The prevalence and incidence of heart failure (HF) have been increasing in recent years as the population ages. These patients show a distinct profile of comorbidity, which makes their care more complex. In recent years, the PROFUND index, a specific tool for estimating the mortality rate at one year in pluripathology patients, has been developed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of the PROFUND index and of in-hospital and 30-day mortality after discharge of patients admitted for acute heart failure (AHF). Materials and Methods: A prospective multicenter longitudinal study was performed that included patients admitted with AHF and ≥2 comorbid conditions. Clinical, analytical, and prognostic variables were collected. The PROFUND index was collected in all patients and rates of in-hospital and 30-day mortality after discharge were analyzed. A bivariate analysis was performed with quantitative variables between patients who died and those who survived at the 30-day follow-up. A logistic regression analysis was performed with the variables that obtained statistical significance in the bivariate analysis between deceased and surviving subjects. Results: A total of 128 patients were included. Mean age was 80.5 +/− 9.98 years, and women represented 51.6%. The mean PROFUND index was 5.26 +/− 4.5. The mortality rate was 8.6% in-hospital and 20.3% at 30 days. Preserved left ventricular ejection fraction was found in 60.9%. In the sample studied, there were patients with a PROFUND score < 7 predominated (89 patients (70%) versus 39 patients (31%) with a PROFUND score ≥ 7). Thirteen patients (15%) with a PROFUND score < 7 died versus the 13 (33%) with a PROFUND score ≥ 7, p = 0.03. Twelve patients (15%) with a PROFUND score < 7 required readmission versus 12 patients (35%) with a PROFUND score ≥ 7, p = 0.02. The ROC curve of the PROFUND index for in-hospital mortality and 30-day follow-up in patients with AHF showed AUC 0.63, CI: 95% (0.508–0.764), p <0.033. Conclusions: The PROFUND index is a clinical tool that may be useful for predicting short-term mortality in elderly patients with AHF. Further studies with larger simple sizes are required to validate these results.

Contemporary comparison of infective endocarditis caused by Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis: a cohort study

Background

Although Candida albicans is the most frequent microorganism causing fungal endocarditis, its incidence has decreased during the last two decades, and that of non-albicans Candida species has risen. Among the last, Candida parapsilosis is of particular interest, representing the second most frequent Candida species causing IE1, 2.

Purpose

To compare the clinical course, imaging findings and outcomes among patients with IE caused by C. albicans (CAIE) and C. parapsilosis (CPIE) in order to identify organism-specific peculiarities.

Methods

From January 1998 to June 2020, all consecutive cases of CAIE and CPIE (n=16), admitted to a hospital network composed of 3 tertiary hospitals and prospectively recruited on a multipurpose database, were retrospectively analysed. All cases were evaluated by the Endocarditis Team (ET) and underwent a thorough diagnostic work-up, including blood cultures at admission, transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and culture of the valves extracted at surgery. Other imaging tests, such as PET/CT, were performed at the ET's discretion. Diagnosis of IE was made according to the modified Duke criteria until 20153, and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 2015 modified diagnostic criteria thereafter4.

Results

Eight patients were diagnosed with CAIE and 8 with CPIE. Regarding predisposing conditions, a higher prevalence of prosthetic valves was found among CPIE. Other population's baseline information is shown in Table 1. Compared to CAIE, CPIE presented a longer time from the beginning of symptoms to hospital admission (40 vs 7 days; p=0.062), but no differences regarding signs and symptoms were observed. Aortic location was the most frequent infection side in both groups, but prosthetic valve involvement was remarkably more frequent among patients with CPIE (75% vs 37.5%; p=0.315. Figure 1). CPIE also presented a higher rate of positive blood cultures at admission (100% vs 62.5%; p=0.200), persistently blood cultures 48–72 hours after antifungals initiation (100% vs 0%; p=0.021) and positive valve cultures (83.3% vs 57.1%; p=0.569). No differences regarding TEE and other imaging tests findings were observed. All patients but 4 underwent valve replacement surgery. No differences in in-hospital complications or in mortality were observed between CAIE and CPIE, even after adjusting for therapeutic management.

Conclusions

Compared to CAIE, CPIE presented a more frequent involvement of prosthetic valves, a longer course of symptoms before admission and a bigger proportion of persistently positive blood cultures. In-hospital complications and mortality were similar between the two groups.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None. Table 1. Population characteristicsFigure 1. Valve involvement distribution

Analysis of right ventricle echocardiographic function parameters for the prediction of outcomes in significant functional tricuspid regurgitation

Introduction

Functional tricuspid regurgitation is a common disease that significantly impairs survival and quality of life. The role of echocardiographic right ventricular (RV) function parameters to detect patients with worse prognosis that may benefit from invasive treatment is still under debate.

Methods

121 consecutive patients with grade III and IV functional tricuspid regurgitation were evaluated. RV function parameters and clinical variables were assessed at baseline, and then patients were prospectively followed-up. The primary endpoint was the combination of death or heart failure (HF) admissions. Comparison of imaging parameters was done using receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curves. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was preformed to establish independent predictors of outcomes.

Results

Median follow up was 27.3 months. 73.6% of the patients were female, and mean age was 80.4 years. 63.6% were grade IV tricuspid regurgitation.

In the univariate analysis using the area under the ROC curve (AUC), RV-free wall strain (RVS, AUC=0.633) and pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP, AUC=0.605) were the best predictors of death and HF admissions, although the individual diagnostic performance was weak.

In the multivariate analysis including either clinical and echocardiographic variables, independent predictors of death and HF admissions were Age (OR 1.07, p=0.029), RVS &gt;−16 (OR 5.0, p=0.001), Diabetes mellitus (OR 3.0, p=0.011), eGFR (ml/min, OR 0.96, p=0.001) and Hemoglobin (g/dL, OR=0.74, p=0.048). The model including these variables was superior than RVS and PASP alone (AUC 0.884, p&lt;0.001) (graph 1), showing high sensitivity (78.8%) and specificity (67.3%).

Conclusions

In patients with significant functional tricuspid regurgitation, RVS and PASP show the best performance for the detection of death and HF admissions. A multivariate model including age, diabetes, eGFR, hemoglobin and RVS was superior than the individual imaging parameters.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None. Table 1Graph 1

Impact of frailty on elderly patients with infective endocarditis

Introduction

Frailty studies focused on patients with infective endocarditis (IE) are scarce and its potential impact on patient outcomes is not well known.

The aim of this study is to describe the clinical profile and prognosis of elderly patients with IE, comparing patients who met the frailty criteria versus those who did not.

Methods

A total of 121 cases of confirmed IE were consecutively collected in three tertiary hospitals between 2017 and 2019. The patients were classified into two groups: Group I (n=49), patients with IE who met the Frail criteria for frailty, and Group II (n=72), those patients without frailty by this scale.

Results

The median age of our cohort was 77 years (69–82), and 62.8% were men. Frail patients were older than those in Group II, as shown in Table 1.

Regarding comorbidity, chronic anemia (40.8% vs 25%; p&lt;0.060) was more common in Group I, as well as rheumatic manifestations at admission (12.2% vs 1.4%; p=0.014).

The most frequently isolated microorganisms were S. aureus (n=25), coagulase negative staphylococci (n=25), viridans group streptococci (n=14), and enterococci (n=14). Enterococci (16.3% vs 8.3%, p=0.177) and non-viridans streptococci (10.2% vs 2.8%); p=0.086) were more frequent in frail patients.

Vegetation (79.6% vs 80.6%; p=0.896) and periannular complications (24.5% vs 29.2%; p=0.571) were similar in both groups. No significant differences were found regarding the location of the infection.

The incidence of in-hospital complications was similar between both groups. Frail patients underwent surgery less frequently than those in Group II, and had higher predicted mortality on surgical risk scale scores. However, the percentage of patients who met the surgical criteria and were considered inoperable was similar (33.3% vs 26.2%; p=0.415). In-hospital mortality was similar in both groups. When analyzing in-hospital mortality according to the therapeutic strategy in Group I, a mortality of 34.5% was observed in frail patients with conservative medical treatment, compared to 47.1% in those patients who underwent surgery in the same group.

One third of our patients received outpatient antibiotic treatment, being significantly more frequent in Group I (39.6% vs 29.0%; p=0.232).

Conclusions

The elderly patients with IE and frailty criteria were older and more frequently had rheumatic symptoms at admission. Enterococci and non-viridans streptococci were isolated more frequently than in non-frailty patients. Surgery was less performed among frail patients, who had a higher predicted surgical risk. Although complications and in-hospital mortality were similar between both groups, in the group of frail patients, those with conservative management showed lower mortality compared to surgery.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

Prognostic impact of cardiac surgery in left-sided infective endocarditis according to risk profile

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the prognostic impact of urgent cardiac surgery on the prognosis of left-sided infective endocarditis (LSIE) and its relationship to the basal risk of the patient and to the surgical indication.

METHODS

605 patients with LSIE and formal surgical indication were consecutively recruited between 2000 and 2020 among three tertiary centres: 405 underwent surgery during the active phase of the disease and 200 did not despite having indication. The prognostic impact of urgent surgery was evaluated by multivariable analysis and propensity score analysis. We studied the benefit of surgery according to baseline mortality risk defined by the ENDOVAL score and according to surgical indication.

RESULTS

Surgery is an independent predictor of survival in LSIE with surgical indication both by multivariable analysis (OR 0.260, 95% CI 0.162 to 0.416) and propensity score (mortality 40% vs 66%, p<0.001). Its greatest prognostic benefit is seen in patients at highest risk (predicted mortality 80%-100%: OR 0.08, 95% CI 0.021 to 0.299). The benefit of surgery is especially remarkable for uncontrolled infection indication (OR 0.385, 95% CI 0.194 to 0.765), even in combination with heart failure (OR 0.220, 95% CI 0.077 to 0.632).

CONCLUSIONS

Surgery during active LSIE seems to significantly reduce in-hospital mortality. The higher the risk, the higher the improvement in outcome.

Heart Stroke Plus: Analysis of quality indicators to create an improved pathway for patients following an acute coronary syndrome

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Private grant(s) and/or Sponsorship. Main funding source(s): Sanofi Aventis S.A.

Introduction

Optimisation of the care of patients after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a fundamental step to improve health outcomes and avoid consecutive cardiovascular events however data on how care is provided is often absent.

Purpose

Our objective was to analyse the main quality indicators in the post-ACS patient pathway so as to determine the actions which avoid future CDV events.

Methods

In a random sample of 100 patients between January 2018 and December 2019, we selected the indicators which most affect secondary prevention in patients post-ACS. All patients had been diagnosed with ACS within a tertiary-care hospital with a 24h interventional cardiology lab.  The indicators were retrospectively analysed using the patients’ health record.

Results

The main results are presented in Table 1.

Conclusions

Based on this, we proposed an integrated protocol for all patients post-ACS which will begin in 2021 within this tertiary-care hospital. Within this protocol, the information contained in the discharge report will be improved and automatized as much as possible so as re-evaluate at a later date.

Table 1: Demographics and results Title of the indicator Yes (%) No (%) Men 76 24 STEMI 40 60 NSTEMI 60 40 Dual antiplatelet therapy included in discharge report 100 0 High doses statins at discharge 98 2 BMI included in discharge report 0 100 LDL objective included in discharge report 14 86 HbA1c objective included in discharge report 13 87 Physical activity included in discharge report 15 85 Flu vaccination recomendations included in discharge report 0 100 Complete blood analysis completed 4-6 weeks after discharge 100 0 Blood pressure is measured on first post-discharge consultation 100 0 Blood pressure medication is changed on first post-discharge consultation 28 78 Patient arrives with measurement for HbA1c on first post-discharge consultation 78 22 Antidiabetic medication is modified on first post-discharge consultation 8 92 BMI is registered on first post-discharge consultation 0 100 Patients with LDL below 55mg/dl on first post-discharge consultation 29 71 Lipid-lowering medications is changed on first post-discharge consultation 29 71

Not All Heart Uptakes on 99mTc-DPD Scintigraphy Are Amyloidosis: Chloroquine-Induced Cardiomyopathy

ABSTRACT

This was the case of a 61-year-old woman with a medical history significant for hypertension and rheumatoid arthritis treated with chloroquine for the last 10 years. She was admitted to our hospital for heart failure symptoms. Echocardiography revealed severe concentric left ventricular hypertrophy. Serum and urine immunofixation electrophoresis and serum light chain assay were negative. No late gadolinium enhancement was observed on cardiovascular magnetic resonance. 99mTc-99mTc-DPD (3,3-diphosphono-1,2-propanodicarboxylic acid) scintigraphy showed myocardial uptake (Perugini score 2/3). Genetic testing excluded hereditary transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis. Endomyocardial biopsy analysis did not show findings suggestive of amyloidosis but consistent with chloroquine toxicity. Chloroquine-mediated cardiotoxicity is rare, and there are very few reports about bone scintigraphy imaging features.

Endovascular treatment of coronary subclavian steal syndrome: a case series highlighting the diagnostic usefulness of a multimodality imaging approach

Background

Coronary subclavian steal syndrome (CSSS) is an uncommon complication observed in patients after coronary artery bypass surgery with left internal mammary artery (LIMA) grafts. It is defined as coronary ischaemia due to reversal flow from the LIMA to the left subclavian artery (SA) when a proximal left SA stenosis is present. In practice, the entire clinical spectrum of ischaemic heart disease, ranging from asymptomatic patients to acute myocardial infarction, may be encountered.

Case summary

Three cases of CSSS recently detected at our hospital are being described. Two patients presented with an acute coronary syndrome, so diagnosis was suspected based on coronary angiography findings, as retrograde blood flow from LIMA to the distal SA was present. Myocardial ischaemia was documented by myocardial perfusion scintigraphy in one case. The third patient was asymptomatic and CSSS was suspected during physical examination and confirmed by computed tomography (CT). Endovascular intervention with balloon-expandable stent implantation of the stenotic SA was performed by vascular surgeons in all patients. No periprocedural complications occurred, and complete resolution of symptoms was achieved.

Discussion

In CSSS, subclavian angiography is the standard diagnostic test. However, other diagnostic techniques may be valuable to better clarify this challenging diagnosis. In the herein small series, the usefulness of a multimodality imaging approach including Doppler ultrasound, myocardial perfusion scintigraphy, and CT is well demonstrated. Furthermore, this study endorses the safety and utility of endovascular treatment in different clinical scenarios, including asymptomatic patients.

The SADDEN DEATH Study: Results from a Pilot Study in Non-ICU COVID-19 Spanish Patients

Introduction: The worldwide pandemic, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel infection with serious clinical manifestations, including death. Our aim is to describe the first non-ICU Spanish deceased series with COVID-19, comparing specifically between unexpected and expected deaths. Methods: In this single-centre study, all deceased inpatients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 who had died from March 4 to April 16, 2020 were consecutively included. Demographic, clinical, treatment, and laboratory data, were analyzed and compared between groups. Factors associated with unexpected death were identified by multivariable logistic regression methods. Results: In total, 324 deceased patients were included. Median age was 82 years (IQR 76–87); 55.9% males. The most common cardiovascular risk factors were hypertension (78.4%), hyperlipidemia (57.7%), and diabetes (34.3%). Other common comorbidities were chronic kidney disease (40.1%), chronic pulmonary disease (30.3%), active cancer (13%), and immunosuppression (13%). The Confusion, BUN, Respiratory Rate, Systolic BP and age ≥65 (CURB-65) score at admission was >2 in 40.7% of patients. During hospitalization, 77.8% of patients received antivirals, 43.3% systemic corticosteroids, and 22.2% full anticoagulation. The rate of bacterial co-infection was 5.5%, and 105 (32.4%) patients had an increased level of troponin I. The median time from initiation of therapy to death was 5 days (IQR 3.0–8.0). In 45 patients (13.9%), the death was exclusively attributed to COVID-19, and in 254 patients (78.4%), both COVID-19 and the clinical status before admission contributed to death. Progressive respiratory failure was the most frequent cause of death (92.0%). Twenty-five patients (7.7%) had an unexpected death. Factors independently associated with unexpected death were male sex, chronic kidney disease, insulin-treated diabetes, and functional independence. Conclusions: This case series provides in-depth characterization of hospitalized non-ICU COVID-19 patients who died in Madrid. Male sex, insulin-treated diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and independency for activities of daily living are predictors of unexpected death.

Infective endocarditis in patients with aortic grafts

BACKGROUND

Infective endocarditis (IE) in patients with a valve-tube ascending aortic graft (AAG) is a rare entity with a challenging diagnosis and treatment. This study describes the clinical features, diagnosis and outcome of these patients.

METHODS

Between 1996 and 2019, 1654 episodes of IE were recruited in 3 centres, of which 37 patients (2.2%) had prosthetic aortic valve and AAG-IE (21 composite valve graft, 16 supracoronary graft) and conformed our study group.

RESULTS

Patients with aortic grafts were predominantly male (91.9%) and the mean age was 67.7 years. Staphylococci were the most frequently isolated microorganisms (32%). Viridans group streptococci were only isolated in patients with composite valve graft. TEE was positive in 89.2%. PET/CT was positive in all 15 patients in whom it was performed. Surgical treatment was performed in 62.2% of patients. In-hospital mortality was 16.2%. Heart failure and the type of infected graft (supracoronary aortic graft) were associated with mortality. Mortality among operated patients was 21.7%. Interestingly, 14 patients received antibiotic therapy alone, and only one died. Mortality was lower among patients with a composite valve graft compared to those with a supracoronary graft (4.8% vs 31.3%; p = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with AAG and prosthetic aortic valve IE, mortality is not higher than in other patients with prosthetic IE. Multimodality imaging plays an important role in the diagnosis and management of these patients. Heart failure and the type of surgery were risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality. Although surgical treatment is usually recommended, a conservative management might be a valid alternative treatment in selected patients.

Multivariate analysis of right ventricle echocardiographic function parameters for the prediction of outcomes in significant functional tricuspid regurgitation

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Introduction

Functional tricuspid regurgitation is a common disease that significantly impairs survival and quality of life. The role of echocardiographic right ventricular (RV) function parameters to detect patients with worse prognosis that may benefit from invasive treatment is still under debate.

Methods

121 consecutive patients with grade III and IV functional tricuspid regurgitation were evaluated. RV function parameters and clinical variables were assessed at baseline, and then patients were prospectively followed-up. The primary endpoint was the combination of death or heart failure (HF) admissions. Comparison of imaging parameters was done using receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curves. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was preformed to establish independent predictors of outcomes.

Results

Median follow up was 27.3 months. 73.6% of the patients were female, and mean age was 80.4 years. 63.6% were grade IV tricuspid regurgitation.

In the univariate analysis using the area under the ROC curve (AUC), RV-free wall strain (RVS, AUC = 0.633) and pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP, AUC = 0.605) were the best predictors of death and HF admissions, showing better diagnostic performance than tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), fractional area change (FAC) and tricuspid S’ (p &lt; 0.001 for each comparison) (graph 1A).

In the multivariate analysis including either clinical and echocardiographic variables, independent predictors of death and HF admissions were Age (OR 1.07, p = 0.029), RVS&gt;-16 (OR 5.0, p = 0.001), Diabetes mellitus (OR 3.0, p = 0.011), eGFR (ml/min, OR 0.96, p = 0.001) and Hemoglobin (g/dL, OR = 0.74, p = 0.048) (table 1). The model including these variables was superior than RVS and PASP alone (AUC 0.884, p &lt; 0.001) (graph 1B), showing high sensitivity (78.8%) and moderate specificity (67.3%).

Conclusions

In patients with significant functional tricuspid regurgitation, RVS and PASP show the best performance for the detection of death and HF admissions. A multivariate model including age, diabetes, eGFR, hemoglobin and RVS was superior than the individual imaging parameters.

Table 1 Variable OR 95% CI P value Age (years) 1.07 1.01-1.13 0.029 Diabetes Mellitus 3.00 1.29-7.00 0.011 RV free wall strain &gt;-16 5.01 1.87-13.4 0.001 Hemoglobin (d/dL) 0.74 0.55-1.00 0.048 eGFR (ml/min) 0.96 0.94-0.98 0.001 OR odds ratio. CI: confidence interval. eGFR: estimated glomerular filtration rate (CKD-EPI formula). Abstract Figure. Graph 1