Perioperative management of patients with undergoing durable mechanical circulatory support

Linking preoperative and early intensive care unit data for prolonged intubation prediction

Objectives

Prolonged intubation (PI) is a frequently encountered severe complication among patients following cardiac surgery (CS). Solely concentrating on preoperative data, devoid of sufficient consideration for the ongoing impact of surgical, anesthetic, and cardiopulmonary bypass procedures on subsequent respiratory system function, could potentially compromise the predictive accuracy of disease prognosis. In response to this challenge, we formulated and externally validated an intelligible prediction model tailored for CS patients, leveraging both preoperative information and early intensive care unit (ICU) data to facilitate early prophylaxis for PI.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study, analyzing adult patients who underwent CS and utilizing data from two publicly available ICU databases, namely, the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care and the eICU Collaborative Research Database. PI was defined as necessitating intubation for over 24 h. The predictive model was constructed using multivariable logistic regression. External validation of the model's predictive performance was conducted, and the findings were elucidated through visualization techniques.

Results

The incidence rates of PI in the training, testing, and external validation cohorts were 11.8%, 12.1%, and 17.5%, respectively. We identified 11 predictive factors associated with PI following CS: plateau pressure [odds ratio (OR), 1.133; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.111-1.157], lactate level (OR, 1.131; 95% CI, 1.067-1.2), Charlson Comorbidity Index (OR, 1.166; 95% CI, 1.115-1.219), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (OR, 1.096; 95% CI, 1.061-1.132), central venous pressure (OR, 1.052; 95% CI, 1.033-1.073), anion gap (OR, 1.075; 95% CI, 1.043-1.107), positive end-expiratory pressure (OR, 1.087; 95% CI, 1.047-1.129), vasopressor usage (OR, 1.521; 95% CI, 1.23-1.879), Visual Analog Scale score (OR, 0.928; 95% CI, 0.893-0.964), pH value (OR, 0.757; 95% CI, 0.629-0.913), and blood urea nitrogen level (OR, 1.011; 95% CI, 1.003-1.02). The model exhibited an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.853 (95% CI, 0.840-0.865) in the training cohort, 0.867 (95% CI, 0.853-0.882) in the testing cohort, and 0.704 (95% CI, 0.679-0.727) in the external validation cohort.

Conclusions

Through multicenter internal and external validation, our model, which integrates early ICU data and preoperative information, exhibited outstanding discriminative capability. This integration allows for the accurate assessment of PI risk in the initial phases following CS, facilitating timely interventions to mitigate adverse outcomes.

Perioperative Left Ventricular Assist Device Use in Patients With Reduced Ejection Fraction Reduces Cardiac Surgery-Associated Acute Kidney Injury

Background Cardiac surgery may precipitate acute kidney injury (AKI), particularly in patients with poor baseline cardiac function. This is thought to be due to intraoperative renal hypoperfusion, which results in increased morbidity and mortality. This study evaluated the perioperative use of the Impella LD (Abiomed, Danvers, MA) left ventricular assist device (LVAD) in the prevention of postoperative AKI in patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) undergoing cardiac surgery. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed at Northwest Medical Center, Tucson, AZ, USA, on patients undergoing valve surgery, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), or both by a single surgeon. Those with preoperative LVEF ≤35% and preoperative serum creatinine ≥1 mg/dL were included and segregated based on intraoperative LVAD implantation. Postoperative renal function was assessed using serum creatinine levels and KDIGO (Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes) criteria to define AKI. Results Twenty-three patients were enrolled. There were no significant differences in age, demographics, baseline characteristics, or comorbidities between the treatment (n = 12) and the control group (n = 11). In the treatment group, 8% developed AKI by POD#7, while 64% of controls did. The treatment group had a significantly lower mean creatinine change from POD#0-7 (0.07 vs. 0.59, p = 0.02). However, there was no significant difference between groups in the mean creatinine change from baseline to discharge (0.46 vs. 0.42, p = 0.47). Conclusions Our study suggests that intraoperative Impella implantation may reduce the incidence of early postoperative AKI. LVAD implantation is an approach to increase and ensure adequate end-organ (renal) perfusion and can improve postoperative recovery without dialysis requirements. Additional studies are required to understand its protective effects during the perioperative period fully.

PERSUADE Survey-PERioperative AnestheSia and Intensive Care Management of Left VentricUlar Assist DevicE Implantation in Europe and the United States

OBJECTIVE

To comprehensively assess relevant institutional variations in anesthesia and intensive care management during left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation.

DESIGN

The authors used a prospective data analysis.

SETTING

This was an online survey.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants were from LVAD centers in Europe and the US.

INTERVENTIONS

After investigating initial interest, 91 of 202 European and 93 of 195 US centers received a link to the survey targeting institutional organization and experience, perioperative hemodynamic monitoring, medical management, and postoperative intensive care aspects.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

The survey was completed by 73 (36.1%) European and 60 (30.8%) US centers. Although most LVAD implantations were performed in university hospitals (>5 years of experience), significant differences were observed in the composition of the preoperative multidisciplinary team and provision of intraoperative care. No significant differences in monitoring or induction agents were observed. Propofol was used more often for maintenance in Europe (p < 0.001). The choice for inotropes changed significantly from preoperatively (more levosimendan in Europe) to intraoperatively (more use of epinephrine in both Europe and the US). The use of quantitative methods for defining right ventricular (RV) function was reported more often from European centers than from US centers (p < 0.05). Temporary mechanical circulatory support for the treatment of RV failure was more often used in Europe. Nitric oxide appeared to play a major role only intraoperatively. There were no significant differences in early postoperative complications reported from European versus US centers.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the perioperative practice of care for patients undergoing LVAD implantation differs in several aspects between Europe and the US, there were no perceived differences in early postoperative complications.

Multidisciplinary Care in Heart Failure Services

The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association/Heart Failure Society of American 2022 guidelines for heart failure (HF) recommend a multidisciplinary team approach for patients with HF. The multidisciplinary HF team-based approach decreases the hospitalization rate for HF and health care costs and improves adherence to self-care and the use of guideline-directed medical therapy. This article proposes the optimal multidisciplinary team structure and each team member's delineated role to achieve institutional goals and metrics for HF care. The proposed HF-specific multidisciplinary team comprises cardiologists, surgeons, advanced practice providers, clinical pharmacists, specialty nurses, dieticians, physical therapists, psychologists, social workers, immunologists, and palliative care clinicians. A standardized multidisciplinary HF team-based approach should be incorporated to optimize the structure, minimize the redundancy of clinical responsibilities among team members, and improve clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction in their HF care.