Innovations in Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices

Electronic ventricular pacing at the end of the QRS complex: Is it abnormal?

An 82-year-old man with ischemic cardiomyopathy, heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and Medtronic biventricular ICD presented with shortness of breath. His ECG is presented with shortness of breath. ECG shows atrial sensed, electronic ventricular pacing. At the end of each QRS complex there is another pacemaker stimulus. This represents typical case of cardiac contractility modulation therapy and not pacemaker malfunction.

Digital health and cardiovascular healthcare professionals in Portugal: Current status, expectations and barriers to implementation

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

Digital health (DH) is a broad concept, bringing together technology and healthcare, that is playing an increasingly important role in the daily routine of healthcare professionals (HCPs) and promises to contribute to the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. There are no solid data on the position of Portuguese HCPs toward the implementation of DH in cardiovascular medicine. This national cross-sectional study aims to provide a snapshot of DH implementation in Portuguese cardiovascular HCP routines and to identify both expectations and barriers to its adoption.

METHODS

An 18-question survey was created specifically for this study and distributed to 1174 individuals on the Portuguese Society of Cardiology mailing list.

RESULTS

We collected 117 valid responses (response rate 10%). Almost all participants had smartphones and laptops, and two-thirds had tablets. Electronic medical information systems were the most used DH tool (84% of respondents) and were considered the most important for improving cardiovascular care. Implantable technologies (sensors and devices), telemedicine and social media were used by more than two out of three respondents and considered «very important» or «extremely important» by most of them. Most participants showed positive expectations regarding the impact of DH in cardiovascular medicine: 78% agreed that DH could improve health outcomes, 64% that it promotes health literacy and 63% that it could decrease healthcare costs. The top-rated barriers were patients' inability to use smartphones, limited access to electronic devices, and lack of legal regulation of DH.

CONCLUSION

Most Portuguese cardiovascular HCPs had at least three electronic devices (mainly smartphones, laptops and tablets) and showed positive expectations regarding DH's current and future impact on cardiovascular medicine. Patient DH literacy, technology adoption, and DH regulation were identified as the most important barriers to increasing the adoption of DH tools in cardiovascular medicine.

Incidence and Prognostic Implications of Cardiac-Implantable Device-Associated Tricuspid Regurgitation: A Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression Analysis

New-onset or worsening tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is a well-established complication encountered after cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs). However, there are limited and conflicting data on the true incidence and prognostic implications of this complication. This study aimed to bridge this current gap in the literature. Electronic databases MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science were systematically searched from inception to March 2023, for studies reporting the incidence and/or prognosis of CIED-associated new or worsening TR. Potentially eligible studies were screened and selected according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. A random effect model meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis were performed, and I-squared statistic was used to assess heterogeneity. A total of 52 eligible studies, with 130,759 patients were included in the final quantitative analysis with a mean follow-up period of 25.5 months. The mean age across included studies was 69.35 years, and women constituted 46.6% of the study population. The mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 50.15%. The incidence of CIED-associated TR was 24% (95% confidence interval [CI] 20% to 28%, p <0.001) with an odds ratio of 2.44 (95% CI 1.58 to 3.77, p <0.001). CIED-associated TR was independently associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.52, 95% CI 1.36 to 1.69, p <0.001), heart failure (HF) hospitalizations (aHR 1.82, 95% CI 1.19 to 2.78, p = 0.006), and the composite of mortality and HF hospitalizations (aHR 1.96, 95% CI 1.33 to 2.87, p = 0.001) in the follow-up period. In conclusion, CIED-associated TR occurred in nearly one-fourth of patients after device implantation and was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality and HF hospitalizations.

Sinus node dysfunction: current understanding and future directions

The sinoatrial node (SAN) is the primary pacemaker of the heart. Normal SAN function is crucial in maintaining proper cardiac rhythm and contraction. Sinus node dysfunction (SND) is due to abnormalities within the SAN, which can affect the heartbeat frequency, regularity, and the propagation of electrical pulses through the cardiac conduction system. As a result, SND often increases the risk of cardiac arrhythmias. SND is most commonly seen as a disease of the elderly given the role of degenerative fibrosis as well as other age-dependent changes in its pathogenesis. Despite the prevalence of SND, current treatment is limited to pacemaker implantation, which is associated with substantial medical costs and complications. Emerging evidence has identified various genetic abnormalities that can cause SND, shedding light on the molecular underpinnings of SND. Identification of these molecular mechanisms and pathways implicated in the pathogenesis of SND is hoped to identify novel therapeutic targets for the development of more effective therapies for this disease. In this review article, we examine the anatomy of the SAN and the pathophysiology and epidemiology of SND. We then discuss in detail the most common genetic mutations correlated with SND and provide our perspectives on future research and therapeutic opportunities in this field.

Clinical outcomes and predictors of complications in patients undergoing leadless pacemaker implantation

BACKGROUND

Leadless pacemakers have emerged as a viable alternative for traditional transvenous pacemakers to reduce the risk of device-related complications.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to examine the real-world clinical outcomes and complications associated with the implantation of leadless pacemaker devices.

METHODS

Using the National Readmission Database (NRD), we examined patient demographics, and in-hospital and 30-day procedural outcomes after leadless pacemaker implantation from 2016-2018. Our cohort comprised adults (≥18 years) with an ICD-10 procedural code for leadless pacemaker implantation.

RESULTS

Our cohort included a total of 7821 patients who underwent leadless pacemaker implantation. Overall immediate procedure-related complications, as defined broadly in this study, occurred in 7.5% of patients. Pericardial effusion without the need for pericardiocentesis occurred in 1.9% of patients, with pericardiocentesis performed in 1.0%. Vascular complications occurred in 2.3% of patients; 0.33% required repair, and device dislodgment occurred in 0.51%. The most significant predictor for procedural complications was end-stage renal disease (odds ratio [OR] 1.65; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.17-2.32; P = .004), congestive heart failure (OR 1.28; 95% CI 1.01-1.62; P = .04), and coagulopathy (OR 1.77; 95% CI 1.34-2.34; P <.001). All-cause readmission occurred in 17.9% of patients within 30 days from device implant, with 1.36% of readmissions being procedure related. At 30 days postimplant and after discharge, 0.25% of patients needed a new pacemaker, and 0.18% had pericardial complications.

CONCLUSION

In our large real-life cohort, we found the rate of serious complications after leadless pacemaker implantation to be relatively low and comparable to prior studies in a high-risk population with multiple comorbid conditions.