Relationship of Central Venous Pressure to Body Fluid Volume Status and Its Prognostic Implication in Patients With Acute Decompensated Heart Failure

Association between early central venous pressure measurement and all-cause mortality in critically ill patients with heart failure: A cohort of 11,241 patients

Background

The timing of central venous pressure (CVP) measurement may play a crucial role in heart failure management, yet no studies have explored this aspect.

Methods

Clinical information pertaining to patients in critical condition with a diagnosis of heart failure was retrieved from the MIMIC-IV database. The association between initial measurements of central venous pressure (CVP) and the incidence of mortality from all causes was analyzed using the Cox proportional hazards approach. Subgroup analysis and propensity score matching were conducted for sensitivity analyses.

Results

This study included 11,241 participants (median age, 75 years; 44.70 % female). Utilizing restricted cubic spline and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses, it was determined that prognostic outcomes were better when CVP was measured within the initial 5-h window. Multivariate-adjusted 1-year (HR: 0.69; 95 % CI: 0.61-0.77), 90-day (HR: 0.70; 95 % CI: 0.62-0.80), and 30-day (HR: 0.67; 95 % CI: 0.57-0.78) all-cause mortalities were significantly lower in patients with early CVP measurement, which was proved robustly in subgroup analysis. Subsequent to the application of propensity score matching, a cohort of 1536 matched pairs was established, with the observed mortality rates continuing to be significantly lower among participants who underwent early CVP assessment.

Conclusions

Early CVP measurement (within 5 h) demonstrated an independent correlation with a decrease in both immediate and extended all-cause mortality rates among patients in critical condition suffering from heart failure.

Measurement of Blood Volume in Patients with Heart Failure: Clinical Relevance, Surrogates, Historical Background and Contemporary Methodology

The development of clinical congestion resulting from volume overload, either by renal fluid retention or redistribution of blood volume from venous reservoirs, is a recurrent scenario in patients with chronic heart failure (HF). As a result, the treatment of congestion, most commonly by initiating aggressive diuretic therapy, is a front-line issue in the management of patients with HF. However, the association of clinical congestion and volume overload with physical signs and symptoms, as well as other surrogates of volume assessment, has limitations in accuracy and, therefore, reliability to direct appropriate interventions. The ability to quantitate intravascular volume and identify the variability in volume profiles among patients with HF can uniquely inform individualized volume management and aid in risk stratification. This tool is provided by contemporary nuclear medicine-based BVA-100 methodology, which uses the well-established indicator-dilution principle and is a requested topic for discussion in this review.

Albuminuria as a marker of systemic congestion in patients with heart failure

AIMS

Albuminuria is common in patients with heart failure and associated with worse outcomes. The underlying pathophysiological mechanism of albuminuria in heart failure is still incompletely understood. The association of clinical characteristics and biomarker profile with albuminuria in patients with heart failure with both reduced and preserved ejection fractions were evaluated.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Two thousand three hundred and fifteen patients included in the index cohort of BIOSTAT-CHF were evaluated and findings were validated in the independent BIOSTAT-CHF validation cohort (1431 patients). Micro-albuminuria and macro-albuminuria were defined as urinary albumincreatinine ratio (UACR) 30 mg/gCr and 300 mg/gCr in spot urines, respectively. The prevalence of micro- and macro-albuminuria was 35.4 and 10.0, respectively. Patients with albuminuria had more severe heart failure, as indicated by inclusion during admission, higher New York Heart Association functional class, more clinical signs and symptoms of congestion, and higher concentrations of biomarkers related to congestion, such as biologically active adrenomedullin, cancer antigen 125, and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) (all P 0.001). The presence of albuminuria was associated with increased risk of mortality and heart failure (re)hospitalization in both cohorts. The strongest independent association with log UACR was found for log NT-proBNP (standardized regression coefficient 0.438, 95 confidence interval 0.350.53, P 0.001). Hierarchical clustering analysis demonstrated that UACR clusters with markers of congestion and less with indices of renal function. The validation cohort yielded similar findings.

CONCLUSION

In patients with new-onset or worsening heart failure, albuminuria is consistently associated with clinical, echocardiographic, and circulating biomarkers of congestion.

Bioimpedance indices of fluid overload and cardiorenal outcomes in heart failure and chronic kidney disease: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Bioimpedance-based estimates of fluid overload have been widely studied and systematically reviewed in dialysis populations, but data from heart failure or non-dialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) populations have not.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We conducted a systematic review of studies using whole-body bioimpedance from heart failure and non-dialysis CKD populations which reported associations with mortality, cardiovascular outcomes and/or CKD progression. We searched MEDLINE, Embase databases and the Cochrane CENTRAL registry from inception to 14^th March 2022. Thirty one eligible studies were identified: 20 heart failure and 11 CKD cohorts, with 2 studies including over 1000 participants. A wide range of different bioimpedance methods were used across the studies (heart failure: 8 parameters; CKD: 6). Studies generally reported positive associations, but between-study differences in bioimpedance methods, fluid overload exposure definitions, and modelling approaches precluded meta-analysis. The largest identified study was in non-dialysis CKD (Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort, 3751 participants) which reported adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for phase angle <5.59 versus ≥6.4 of 2.02 (1.67-2.43) for all-cause mortality; 1.80 (1.46-2.23) for heart failure events; and 1.78 (1.56-2.04) for CKD progression.

CONCLUSIONS

Bioimpedance indices of fluid overload are associated with risk of important cardiorenal outcomes in heart failure and CKD. Facilitation of more widespread use of bioimpedance needs consensus on the optimum device, standardized analytical methods, and larger studies including more detailed characterization of cardiac and renal phenotypes.

Use of Handheld Ultrasound to Estimate Right Atrial Pressure in a Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic

RATIONALE

Point-of-care ultrasonography is an invaluable asset for inpatient decision-making. Whether handheld ultrasound can be utilized in the outpatient management of pulmonary hypertension (PH) is unknown.

OBJECTIVES

We investigated whether a handheld ultrasound estimate of right atrial pressure correlates with B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and clinical outcome over time in PH outpatients.

METHODS

This prospective study included outpatients in a PH Comprehensive Care Center clinic who had a same-day BNP level. We used a handheld ultrasound to measure inferior vena cava (IVC) size and collapsibility, which were used to estimate right atrial pressure (eRAP) and categorize it as normal, intermediate, or high. Correlation analysis was used to compare these ultrasound measurements to BNP at baseline and over time. Cox regression was used to determine if these measurements were associated with time to clinical worsening.

RESULTS

Ninety patients (60% Group 1 PH) were enrolled. Patients with an intermediate or high eRAP category at baseline had higher BNP levels than patients with normal eRAP. For every transition in eRAP category (e.g. from normal to intermediate) between clinic visits, BNP changed by an average of 155 pg/mL (95% CI 84 to 227). Higher baseline eRAP category was independently associated with more than two-fold increased risk for clinical worsening (HR 2.44, 95% CI 1.47-4.07).

CONCLUSIONS

Right atrial pressure estimated by portable handheld ultrasound correlates with BNP at baseline and serially over time. Furthermore, eRAP is independently associated with clinical worsening. The use of portable handheld ultrasound to estimate right atrial pressure should be considered in PH clinics. Clinical trial registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02873039).