Innovative Approaches to Arrhythmic Storm: The Growing Role of Interventional Procedures

Prognostic impact of recurrences in patients with electrical storm

OBJECTIVES

The study sought to assess the prognostic impact of recurrences of electrical storm (ES-R) on mortality, rehospitalization and major adverse cardiac events (MACE).

BACKGROUND

Data on the prognostic impact of ES-R is rare.

METHODS

All consecutive ES patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) were included retrospectively from 2002 to 2016. Patients with ES-R were compared to patients without ES-R. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality, secondary endpoints were in-hospital mortality, rehospitalization and MACE.

RESULTS

A total of 87 consecutive ES patients with an ICD were included, of which 26% presented with ES-R at 2.5 years of follow-up. ES-R patients revealed lower LVEF compared to non-ES-R patients (91% vs. 61%; p = .081). There was a numerically higher rate of the primary endpoint of all-cause mortality at 2.5 years (50% vs. 32%; log-rank p = .137). Furthermore, ES-R was associated with increasing rates of rehospitalization (64% vs. 37%; p = .031; HR 1.985; 95% CI 1.025-3.845; log-rank p = .042), especially of acute heart failure (32% vs. 12%; p = .001; HR 3.262; 95% CI 1.180-9.023; log rank p = .023). MACE were higher in ES-R patients (55% vs. 35%; p = .113; log rank p = .141). ES patients with LVEF ≤35% were 12.4 times more likely to develop ES-R (HR 12.417; 95% CI 1.329-115.997; p = .027).

CONCLUSION

At long-term follow-up of 2.5 years, ES-R was associated with numerically higher rates of long-term all-cause mortality and significantly higher rates of rehospitalization due to acute heart failure. LVEF ≤35% was associated with increased risk of ES-R. Condensed Abstract This study examined retrospectively the impact of recurrences of electrical storm (ES-R) on survival in 87 patients. ES-R was associated with numerically higher long-term all-cause mortality, whereas significantly higher rates of rehospitalization, respectively of acute heart failure were observed. Highlights ES-R is associated with numerically higher rates of all-cause mortality at long-term follow-up. ES-R is associated with significantly higher rates of rehospitalization and numerically higher rates of MACE at long-term follow-up, mainly due to acute heart failure. Patients with LVEF ≤35% were 12.4 times more likely to develop ES-R.

Prognostic impact of left ventricular ejection fraction in patients with electrical storm

OBJECTIVES

The study sought to assess retrospectively the prognostic impact of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in patients with electrical storm (ES).

BACKGROUND

Data regarding the prognostic impact of impaired LVEF in ES patients is rare.

METHODS

Consecutive patients presenting with ES from 2002 to 2016 were included retrospectively. Patients with LVEF ≤ 35% were compared to patients with LVEF > 35%. The primary prognostic endpoint was long-term all-cause mortality, and secondary endpoints were rates of in-hospital mortality, rehospitalization, major adverse cardiac events (MACE), and ES recurrences (ES-R) at long-term follow-up.

RESULTS

A total of 80 patients with ES were included at 2.5 years of follow-up. 69% of patients suffered from LVEF ≤ 35%. ES patients with LVEF ≤ 35% were associated with higher rates of the primary endpoint of all-cause mortality (53% versus 8%, log-rank p = 0.0001; HR 8.524; 95% CI 2.030-35.793, p = 0.003), as well as the secondary endpoints of MACE (53% versus 20%; log rank p = 0.011; HR 3.213, 95% CI 1.241-8.316, p = 0.016) and ES-R (35% versus 8%; log rank p = 0.019; HR 4.821, 95% CI 1.122-20.706, p = 0.034). Furthermore, ES patients with LVEF ≤ 35% showed higher rates of rehospitalization due to acute heart failure (24% versus 8%, statistical trend p = 0.096). Notably, ES patients with LVEF > 35% were associated with increased rates of rehospitalization due to ventricular tachycardia (36% versus 18%, statistical trend p = 0.083).

CONCLUSIONS

ES patients with LVEF ≤ 35% were associated with increased rates of all-cause mortality, MACE, ES-R and heart failure-related rehospitalization at long-term follow-up. This study evaluated retrospectively the prognostic impact of LVEF in patients with ES. LVEF ≤ 35% was associated with increased long-term all-cause mortality (53% versus 8%; HR 8.524; 95% CI 2.030-35.793, p = 0.003), MACE (53% versus 20%; HR 3.213, 95% CI 1.241-8.316, p = 0.016), and ES recurrences (35% versus 8%; HR 4.821, 95% CI 1.122-20.706, p = 0.034), while trends were observed for higher rates of heart-failure related rehospitalization (24% versus 8%, p = 0.096) and MACE (49% versus 28%; p = 0.081).