Heart transplantation as a rescue strategy for patients with refractory electrical storm

AIMS

Heart transplantation (HT) can be proposed as a therapeutic strategy for patients with severe refractory electrical storm (ES). Data in the literature are scarce and based on case reports. We aimed at determining the characteristics and survival of patients transplanted for refractory ES.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Patients registered on HT waiting list during the following days after ES and eventually transplanted, from 2010 to 2021, were retrospectively included in 11 French centres. The primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality. Forty-five patients were included [82% men; 55.0 (47.8-59.3) years old; 42.2% and 26.7% non-ischaemic dilated or ischaemic cardiomyopathies, respectively]. Among them, 42 (93.3%) received amiodarone, 29 received (64.4%) beta blockers, 19 (42.2%) required deep sedation, 22 had (48.9%) mechanical circulatory support, and 9 (20.0%) had radiofrequency catheter ablation. Twenty-two patients (62%) were in cardiogenic shock. Inscription on wait list and transplantation occurred 3.0 (1.0-5.0) days and 9.0 (4.0-14.0) days after ES onset, respectively. After transplantation, 20 patients (44.4%) needed immediate haemodynamic support by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). In-hospital mortality rate was 28.9%. Predictors of in-hospital mortality were serum creatinine/urea levels, need for immediate post-operative ECMO support, post-operative complications, and surgical re-interventions. One-year survival was 68.9%.

CONCLUSION

Electrical storm is a rare indication of HT but may be lifesaving in those patients presenting intractable arrhythmias despite usual care. Most patients can be safely discharged from hospital, although post-operative mortality remains substantial in this context of emergency transplantation. Larger studies are warranted to precisely determine those patients at higher risk of in-hospital mortality.

Subcutaneous Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators in Patients With Congenital Heart Disease

BACKGROUND

Very few data have been published on the use of subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (S-ICDs) in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD).

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to analyze outcomes associated with S-ICDs in patients with CHD.

METHODS

This nationwide French cohort including all patients with an S-ICD was initiated in 2020 by the French Institute of Health and Medical Research. Characteristics at implantation and outcomes were analyzed in patients with CHD.

RESULTS

From October 12, 2012, to December 31, 2019, among 4,924 patients receiving an S-ICD implant in 150 centers, 101 (2.1%) had CHD. Tetralogy of Fallot, univentricular heart, and dextro-transposition of the great arteries represented almost one-half of the population. Patients with CHD were significantly younger (age 37.1 ± 15.4 years vs 50.1 ± 14.9 years; P < 0.001), more frequently female (37.6% vs 23.0%; P < 0.001), more likely to receive an S-ICD for secondary prevention (72.3% vs 35.9%; P < 0.001), and less likely to have severe systolic dysfunction of the systemic ventricle (28.1% vs 53.1%; P < 0.001). Over a mean follow-up period of 1.9 years, 16 (15.8%) patients with CHD received at least 1 appropriate shock, with all shocks successfully terminating the ventricular arrhythmia. The crude risk of appropriate S-ICD shock was twice as high in patients with CHD compared with non-CHD patients (annual incidences of 9.0% vs 4.4%; HR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.3-3.4); however, this association was no longer significant after propensity matching (especially considering S-ICD indication, P = 0.12). The burden of all complications (HR: 1.2; 95% CI: 0.7-2.1; P = 0.4) and inappropriate shocks (HR: 0.9; 95% CI: 0.4-2.0; P = 0.9) was comparable in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

In this nationwide study, patients with CHD represented 2% of all S-ICD implantations. Our findings emphasize the effectiveness and safety of S-ICD in this particularly high-risk population. (S-ICD French Cohort Study [HONEST]; NCT05302115).

Combination of primary hemostatic disorders and atrial fibrillation increases bleeding events following transcatheter aortic valve replacement

Background Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) are likely to have a poor prognosis including bleedings following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Closure time of adenosine diphosphate (CT-ADP) is a primary hemostasis point-of-care test and is a predictor of bleeding events following TAVR. We aimed to evaluate the impact of ongoing primary hemostatic disorders on bleeding events in TAVR patients with AF. Methods We enrolled 878 patients from our prospective registry. The primary endpoint was VARC-2 major/life-threatening bleeding complications (MLBCs) at 1-year after TAVR and secondary endpoint was major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) at 1-year, defined as a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure hospitalization. Ongoing primary hemostatic disorder was defined by a post-procedural CT-ADP>180sec. Results Patients with AF had a higher incidence of MLBCs (20% vs. 12%, p=0.002), MACCE (29% vs. 20%, p=0.002), and all-cause mortality (15% vs. 8%, p=0.002) within 1-year compared to non-AF patients. When the cohort was split into 4 subgroups according to AF and CT-ADP>180sec, patients with AF and CT-ADP>180sec had the highest risk of MLBCs and MACCE. Multivariate Cox regression analysis confirmed that the patients with AF and CT-ADP>180sec had 3.9-fold higher risk of MLBCs, whereas those patients were no longer associated with MACCE after the adjustment. Conclusions In TAVR patients, AF with post-procedural CT-ADP>180 sec was strongly associated with MLBCs following TAVR. Our study suggests that persistent primary haemostatic disorders contribute to a higher risk of bleeding events particularly in AF patients.

Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Closure Is a Reasonable Option for Patients With Atrial Fibrillation at High Risk for Cerebrovascular Events

Background—

Percutaneous left atrial appendage (LAA) closure is an emerging option for patients with atrial fibrillation at high risk for cerebrovascular events. The multicenter FLAAC registry (French Nationwide Observational LAA Closure Registry) was established to assess LAA closure outcomes in everyday practice.

Methods and Results—

Four hundred thirty-six patients referred from April 2013 to September 2015 to 33 French interventional cardiology centers for percutaneous LAA closure were included prospectively in the FLAAC registry. Mean age was 75.4±0.4 years. The stroke risk was high (mean CHA 2 DS 2 –VASc score, 4.5±0.1) and most patients had experienced clinically significant bleeding (HAS-BLED score, 3.1±0.05). The device used was Amplatzer LAA occluder in 58% and the Watchman device in 42% of the patients. The procedural success rate was 98.4%. Median postprocedure follow-up was 12.0 (11.8–12.0) months and a single patient was lost to follow-up. During the periprocedural and subsequent follow-up period, procedure-related severe adverse events occurred in 21 (4.9%) and 10 (2.3%) patients, respectively. One-year cumulative incidences of ischemic stroke and cerebral hemorrhage were 2.9% (1.6–5.0) and 1.5% (0.7–3.2), respectively. Overall, 1-year mortality was 9.3% (6.9–12.5) with 7 of the 39 deaths related or possibly related to the device or procedure.

Conclusions—

This nationwide prospective registry shows that, in the French population, LAA closure is mainly used in patients with high comorbidity rates and a poor prognosis. LAA closure in such patients seems reasonable to decrease the stroke rate. The overall health status of these patients should be taken into account during the preprocedural evaluation process.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT02252861.

Coagulase-positive Staphylococcus pseudintermedius from animals causing human endocarditis

We report a case of infection with coagulase-positive Staphylococcus pseudintermedius related to the implantation of a cardioverter-defribrillator device. This species is usually isolated from infected animals, and contact with a dog was the probable source of infection in this patient. This isolate produced a leukotoxin effective against human polymorphonuclear leukocytes.