A novel score to predict in-hospital mortality for patients with acute coronary syndrome and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: the FACTOR study

INTRODUCTION

Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) represent a substantial global healthcare challenge. In its most severe form, it can lead to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Despite medical advancements, survival rates in OHCA patients remain low. Further, the prediction of outcomes in these patients poses a challenge to all health care providers involved. This study aims at developing a score with variables available on admission to assess in-hospital mortality of patients with OHCA undergoing coronary angiography.

METHOD

All patients with OHCA due to ACS admitted to a tertiary care center were included. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the association between clinical variables and in-hospital all-cause mortality. A scoring system incorporating variables available upon admission to assess individual patients' risk of in-hospital mortality was developed (FACTOR score). The score was then validated.

RESULTS

A total of 291 patients were included in the study, with a median age of 65 [56-73] years, including 47 women (16.2%). The in-hospital mortality rate was 41.2%. A prognostic model was developed in the derivation cohort (n = 138) and included the following variables: age, downtime, first detected rhythm, and administration of epinephrine. The area under the curve for the FACTOR score was 0.823 (95% CI 0.737-0.894) in the derivation cohort and 0.828 (0.760-0.891) in the validation cohort (n = 153).

CONCLUSION

The FACTOR score demonstrated a reliable prognostic tool for health care providers in assessing in-hospital mortality of OHCA patients. Early acknowledgement of a poor prognosis may help in patient management and allocation of resources.

Twenty-five-year trends in incidence, angiographic appearance, and management of spontaneous coronary artery dissection

BACKGROUND

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) has been described as an infrequent cause of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Knowledge about the disease is still limited and SCAD might still be underdiagnosed.

OBJECTIVES

Trends in incidence, presentation, angiographic appearance, management, and outcomes of SCAD over 25 years were analyzed.

METHODS

Patients with SCAD between 1997 and 2021 at the University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland, were included. Incidences were assessed as total numbers and proportions of ACS cases. Clinical data were collected from medical records and angiographic findings were reviewed. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were defined as the composite of all-cause death, cardiac arrest, SCAD recurrence or progression, other myocardial infarction, and stroke.

RESULTS

One hundred fifty-six SCAD cases were included in this study. The incidence increased significantly in total (p < 0.001) and relative to ACS cases (p < 0.001). This was based on an increase of shorter lesions (p = 0.004), SCAD type 2 (p < 0.001), and lesions in side branches (p = 0.014), whereas lesions in the left main coronary artery and proximal segments were decreasing (p-values 0.029 and < 0.001, respectively). There was an increase in conservative therapy (p < 0.001). The rate of MACE (24%) was stable, however, there was a reduced proportion of patients with a need for intensive care treatment (p = 0.017).

CONCLUSIONS

SCAD represents an important entity of ACS that still might be underappreciated. The increasing incidence of SCAD is likely based on better awareness and familiarity with the disease. A lower need for intensive care treatment suggests positive effects of the increasing implementation of conservative management.

Machine learning-based prediction of in-hospital death for patients with takotsubo syndrome: The InterTAK-ML model

AIMS

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is associated with a substantial rate of adverse events. We sought to design a machine learning (ML)-based model to predict the risk of in-hospital death and to perform a clustering of TTS patients to identify different risk profiles.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A ridge logistic regression-based ML model for predicting in-hospital death was developed on 3482 TTS patients from the International Takotsubo (InterTAK) Registry, randomly split in a train and an internal validation cohort (75% and 25% of the sample size, respectively) and evaluated in an external validation cohort (1037 patients). Thirty-one clinically relevant variables were included in the prediction model. Model performance represented the primary endpoint and was assessed according to area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity and specificity. As secondary endpoint, a K-medoids clustering algorithm was designed to stratify patients into phenotypic groups based on the 10 most relevant features emerging from the main model. The overall incidence of in-hospital death was 5.2%. The InterTAK-ML model showed an AUC of 0.89 (0.85-0.92), a sensitivity of 0.85 (0.78-0.95) and a specificity of 0.76 (0.74-0.79) in the internal validation cohort and an AUC of 0.82 (0.73-0.91), a sensitivity of 0.74 (0.61-0.87) and a specificity of 0.79 (0.77-0.81) in the external cohort for in-hospital death prediction. By exploiting the 10 variables showing the highest feature importance, TTS patients were clustered into six groups associated with different risks of in-hospital death (28.8% vs. 15.5% vs. 5.4% vs. 1.0.8% vs. 0.5%) which were consistent also in the external cohort.

CONCLUSION

A ML-based approach for the identification of TTS patients at risk of adverse short-term prognosis is feasible and effective. The InterTAK-ML model showed unprecedented discriminative capability for the prediction of in-hospital death.

Is spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) related to local anatomy and hemodynamics? An exploratory study

AIMS

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an increasingly diagnosed cause of myocardial infarction with unclear pathophysiology. The aim of the study was to test if vascular segments site of SCAD present distinctive local anatomy and hemodynamic profiles.

METHODS

Coronary arteries with spontaneously healed SCAD (confirmed by follow-up angiography) underwent three-dimensional reconstruction, morphometric analysis with definition of vessel local curvature and torsion, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations with derivation of time-averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS) and topological shear variation index (TSVI). The (reconstructed) healed proximal SCAD segment was visually inspected for co-localization with curvature, torsion, and CFD-derived quantities hot spots.

RESULTS

Thirteen vessels with healed SCAD underwent the morpho-functional analysis. Median time between baseline and follow-up coronary angiograms was 57 (interquartile range [IQR] 45-95) days. In seven cases (53.9%), SCAD was classified as type 2b and occurred in the left anterior descending artery or near a bifurcation. In all cases (100%), at least one hot spot co-localized within the healed proximal SCAD segment, in 9 cases (69.2%) ≥3 hot spots were identified. Healed SCAD in proximity of a coronary bifurcation presented lower TAWSS peak values (6.65 [IQR 6.20-13.2] vs. 3.81 [2.53-5.17] Pa, p = 0.008) and hosted less frequently TSVI hot spots (100% vs. 57.1%, p = 0.034).

CONCLUSION

Vascular segments of healed SCAD were characterized by high curvature/torsion and WSS profiles reflecting increased local flow disturbances. Hence, a pathophysiological role of the interaction between vessel anatomy and shear forces in SCAD is hypothesized.

Effectiveness of radiation protection systems in the cardiac catheterization laboratory: a comparative study

BACKGROUND

As numbers and complexity of percutaneous coronary interventions are constantly increasing, optimal radiation protection is required to ensure operator safety. Suspended radiation protection systems (SRPS) and protective scatter-radiation absorbing drapes (PAD) are novel methods to mitigate fluoroscopic scattered radiation exposure. The aim of the study was to investigate the effectiveness regarding radiation protection of a SRPS and a PAD in comparison with conventional protection.

METHODS

A total of 229 cardiac catheterization procedures with SRPS (N = 73), PAD (N = 82) and standard radiation protection (N = 74) were prospectively included. Real-time dosimeter data were collected from the first operator and the assistant. Endpoints were the cumulative operator exposure relative to the dose area product [standardized operator exposure (SOE)] for the first operator and the assistant.

RESULTS

For the first operator, the SRPS and the PAD significantly decreased the overall SOE compared to conventional shielding by 93.9% and 66.4%, respectively (P < 0.001). The protective effect of the SRPS was significantly higher compared to the PAD (P < 0.001). For the assistant, the SRPS and the PAD provided a not statistically significant reduction compared to conventional shielding in the overall SOE by 38.0% and 30.6%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The SRPS and the PAD enhance radiation protection significantly compared to conventional protection. In most clinical scenarios, the protective effect of SRPS is significantly higher than the additional protection provided by the PAD. Comparison of the additional radiation protection provided by protective scatter-radiation absorbing drapes (PAD) and the suspended radiation protection system (SRPS) system over standard protection with lead aprons.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with takotsubo syndrome versus spontaneous coronary artery dissection

BACKGROUND

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) and spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) are now increasingly recognized. Both conditions predominantly affect females; however, the exact pathophysiology remains unclear. Large multi-center databases can help elucidate the underlying mechanism and optimize treatments to improve outcomes by allowing us to compare features and outcomes of patients with TTS and patients with SCAD.

METHODS

Takotsubo syndrome patients were enrolled from the International Takotsubo Registry and compared to SCAD patients from the Canadian Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection Cohort Study. In total 2098 TTS patients and 750 SCAD patients were included in the present study.

RESULTS

More than 85% of patients in both groups were females. TTS patients were older compared to SCAD patients. Physical triggers were more common in TTS patients, while emotional triggers and non-identifiable triggering events were more common in SCAD patients. Left ventricular ejection fraction was more impaired in TTS compared to SCAD. TTS patients had more major cardiovascular risk factors, while SCAD patients had a higher rate of migraines and anxiety disorders than TTS patients. Thirty-day mortality was significantly higher in TTS patients, while 30-day stroke rates were comparable between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that women are at higher risk for TTS and SCAD compared to men, which should be considered in the differential diagnosis of those presenting with acute coronary syndrome. Additionally, emotional stressors play a significant role in triggering events particularly in younger women suffering from SCAD. The present findings may help clinicians better differentiate these two entities and aid in the appropriate risk stratification, diagnosis, and management.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov no. NCT01947621.

Assessment of Artificial Intelligence in Echocardiography Diagnostics in Differentiating Takotsubo Syndrome From Myocardial Infarction

Importance

Machine learning algorithms enable the automatic classification of cardiovascular diseases based on raw cardiac ultrasound imaging data. However, the utility of machine learning in distinguishing between takotsubo syndrome (TTS) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has not been studied.

Objectives

To assess the utility of machine learning systems for automatic discrimination of TTS and AMI.

Design, Settings, and Participants

This cohort study included clinical data and transthoracic echocardiogram results of patients with AMI from the Zurich Acute Coronary Syndrome Registry and patients with TTS obtained from 7 cardiovascular centers in the International Takotsubo Registry. Data from the validation cohort were obtained from April 2011 to February 2017. Data from the training cohort were obtained from March 2017 to May 2019. Data were analyzed from September 2019 to June 2021.

Exposure

Transthoracic echocardiograms of 224 patients with TTS and 224 patients with AMI were analyzed.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the machine learning system evaluated on an independent data set and 4 practicing cardiologists for comparison. Echocardiography videos of 228 patients were used in the development and training of a deep learning model. The performance of the automated echocardiogram video analysis method was evaluated on an independent data set consisting of 220 patients. Data were matched according to age, sex, and ST-segment elevation/non-ST-segment elevation (1 patient with AMI for each patient with TTS). Predictions were compared with echocardiographic-based interpretations from 4 practicing cardiologists in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and AUC calculated from confidence scores concerning their binary diagnosis.

Results

In this cohort study, apical 2-chamber and 4-chamber echocardiographic views of 110 patients with TTS (mean [SD] age, 68.4 [12.1] years; 103 [90.4%] were female) and 110 patients with AMI (mean [SD] age, 69.1 [12.2] years; 103 [90.4%] were female) from an independent data set were evaluated. This approach achieved a mean (SD) AUC of 0.79 (0.01) with an overall accuracy of 74.8 (0.7%). In comparison, cardiologists achieved a mean (SD) AUC of 0.71 (0.03) and accuracy of 64.4 (3.5%) on the same data set. In a subanalysis based on 61 patients with apical TTS and 56 patients with AMI due to occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery, the model achieved a mean (SD) AUC score of 0.84 (0.01) and an accuracy of 78.6 (1.6%), outperforming the 4 practicing cardiologists (mean [SD] AUC, 0.72 [0.02]) and accuracy of 66.9 (2.8%).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cohort study, a real-time system for fully automated interpretation of echocardiogram videos was established and trained to differentiate TTS from AMI. While this system was more accurate than cardiologists in echocardiography-based disease classification, further studies are warranted for clinical application.

Clinical correlates and prognostic impact of neurologic disorders in Takotsubo syndrome

Cardiac alterations are frequently observed after acute neurological disorders. Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) represents an acute heart failure syndrome and is increasingly recognized as part of the spectrum of cardiac complications observed after neurological disorders. A systematic investigation of TTS patients with neurological disorders has not been conducted yet. The aim of the study was to expand insights regarding neurological disease entities triggering TTS and to investigate the clinical profile and outcomes of TTS patients after primary neurological disorders. The International Takotsubo Registry is an observational multicenter collaborative effort of 45 centers in 14 countries (ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT01947621). All patients in the registry fulfilled International Takotsubo Diagnostic Criteria. For the present study, patients were included if complete information on acute neurological disorders were available. 2402 patients in whom complete information on acute neurological status were available were analyzed. In 161 patients (6.7%) an acute neurological disorder was identified as the preceding triggering factor. The most common neurological disorders were seizures, intracranial hemorrhage, and ischemic stroke. Time from neurological symptoms to TTS diagnosis was ≤ 2 days in 87.3% of cases. TTS patients with neurological disorders were younger, had a lower female predominance, fewer cardiac symptoms, lower left ventricular ejection fraction, and higher levels of cardiac biomarkers. TTS patients with neurological disorders had a 3.2-fold increased odds of in-hospital mortality compared to TTS patients without neurological disorders. In this large-scale study, 1 out of 15 TTS patients had an acute neurological condition as the underlying triggering factor. Our data emphasize that a wide spectrum of neurological diseases ranging from benign to life-threatening encompass TTS. The high rates of adverse events highlight the need for clinical awareness.

Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection: A Rare Event?

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection is an infrequent cause of acute coronary syndrome with comparable clinical features. Previously considered a rare disease, recent scientific interest has revealed spontaneous coronary artery dissection as an important differential diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome, especially in young women, during pregnancy or postpartum, and in patients with fibromuscular dysplasia or other arteriopathies. However, there remain many uncertainties regarding pathophysiology, risk factors, acute treatment, and optimal long-term management. The aim of this review is to summarize current scientific evidence on epidemiology, management, and outcomes.

Takotsubo Syndrome: Uncovering Myths and Misconceptions

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) was described in Japan 3 decades ago to affect predominately postmenopausal women after emotional stress. This history is the basis of commonly held beliefs which may contribute to the underdiagnosis and misperception of TTS.

RECENT FINDINGS

TTS affects not only women, but can be present in both sexes, and can appear in children as well as in the elderly. TTS is characterized by unique clinical characteristics with morphological variants, and incurs a substantial risk for recurrent events and adverse outcomes. Physical triggers are more common than emotional triggers and are major disease determinants. TTS seems not to be completely transient as patients report ongoing chest pain, dyspnea, or fatigue even after months of the acute event. Knowledge of the clinical features and outcomes of TTS patients has evolved substantially over the past decades. The heterogeneous appearance of TTS needs to be recognized in all medical disciplines to maximize therapy and improve outcomes.

Prognostic impact of acute pulmonary triggers in patients with takotsubo syndrome: new insights from the International Takotsubo Registry

AIMS

Acute pulmonary disorders are known physical triggers of takotsubo syndrome (TTS). This study aimed to investigate prevalence of acute pulmonary triggers in patients with TTS and their impact on outcomes.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Patients with TTS were enrolled from the International Takotsubo Registry and screened for triggering factors and comorbidities. Patients were categorized into three groups (acute pulmonary trigger, chronic lung disease, and no lung disease) to compare clinical characteristics and outcomes. Of the 1670 included patients with TTS, 123 (7%) were identified with an acute pulmonary trigger, and 194 (12%) had a known history of chronic lung disease. The incidence of cardiogenic shock was highest in patients with an acute pulmonary trigger compared with those with chronic lung disease or without lung disease (17% vs. 10% vs. 9%, P = 0.017). In-hospital mortality was also higher in patients with an acute pulmonary trigger than in the other two groups, although not significantly (5.7% vs. 1.5% vs. 4.2%, P = 0.13). Survival analysis demonstrated that patients with an acute pulmonary trigger had the worst long-term outcome (P = 0.002). The presence of an acute pulmonary trigger was independently associated with worse long-term mortality (hazard ratio 2.12, 95% confidence interval 1.33-3.38; P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

The present study demonstrates that TTS is related to acute pulmonary triggers in 7% of all TTS patients, which accounts for 21% of patients with physical triggers. The presence of acute pulmonary trigger is associated with a severe in-hospital course and a worse long-term outcome.

[Spontaneous coronary artery dissection]

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection Abstract. Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an increasingly recognized etiology of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and an important cause of myocardial infarction in women. First described in 1931, SCAD is defined as a spontaneous tear in a coronary artery that is not associated with atherosclerosis, trauma or medical intervention. SCAD predominantly affects younger women, who often lack atherosclerotic risk factors. Some risk factors that have been identified include female sex, pregnancy, severe emotional or physical stress, underlying blood vessel diseases such as fibromuscular dysplasia, and connective tissue diseases such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome or Marfan syndrome. Previously believed to be rare, a chiefly fatal condition, recent epidemiological data suggests SCAD is accountable for up to 4 % of all ACS cases and up to 35 % of ACS cases in women < 50 years of age. There is a lack of awareness of SCAD among physicians, which probably results in underreporting and underdiagnosing of this disorder. The clinical presentation of SCAD is often similar to that of ACS making differentiation at first presentation difficult. Cardiac enzymes are elevated like in ACS and there are no biomarkers that are specific for the diagnosis of SCAD. Coronary angiography is the gold standard method to distinguish both entities, however correct diagnosis by cath is challenging and SCAD can be truly missed and misdiagnosed as classic ACS. Still there are no randomized controlled trials about the optimal treatment of these patients. But it is suggested that management should be different to atherosclerotic myocardial infarction. Conservative medical treatment is favored in the majority of cases, with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) being reserved for high risk patients due to poor interventional outcomes and higher failure rates. However, there is still a lack of data on this poorly understood condition and the optimal management has yet to be determined.

Impact of Parvovirus B19 Viremia in Liver Transplanted Children on Anemia: A Retrospective Study

Acute parvovirus B19 (B19V) infection in immunocompromised patients may lead to severe anemia. However, in adult transplant recipients, B19V reactivations without anemia and low-level viremia are common. The impact of B19V in pediatric transplant patients, with high risk of primary infection, is investigated here. In a six-month period, 159 blood samples of 54 pediatric liver transplant recipients were tested for B19V DNA by quantitative real-time PCR. Viremia was correlated with anemia and immunosuppression and compared with rates in adult transplant recipients. B19V DNA was detected in 5/54 patients. Primary B19V infections were observed in four patients prior to and in one patient after transplantation. Rates of viremia were significantly higher in pediatric recipients than in adults. Prolonged virus shedding after primary infection prior to transplantation accounts for most viremic cases. Anemia was significantly more frequent in samples from viremic patients, but remained mild. In 15% of anemic samples, B19V DNA was detected. Therefore, in anemic pediatric transplant recipients, diagnostics for B19V seem reasonable.

[Modification of avian humoral immunoreactions by Influex and Echinacea angustifolia extract]

Medicinal complex drugs as well as single ethanolic or aqueous extracts of several plants are commonly used to increase the natural resistance to various infections, though their efficacy and mechanism of action are not yet well elucidated. In the present study, we investigated two problems: firstly, whether the complex drug (Influex) and Echinacea angustifolia extract do stimulate the immunoglobulin and antibody synthesis in chickens immunized with human serum albumin; and secondly, whether a restoration of IgG-synthesis in immunodefective (dysgammaglobulinemic) UM-B 19 chickens is possible with these plant preparations, i.e. if the BG cells which may possibly be present can be polyclonally or antigen specifically stimulated. The preparations were administered orally in two doses, after which the complete immunoglobulin concentration was determined by rocket immunoelectrophoresis and the antibody production by ELISA. The effect of ethanolic solvent was taken into account. The administration of the complex drug to normal Leghorn chickens induced a rise in the serum immunoglobulin concentration, as well as an increase in the three classes of antibody. By the immunodeficient chickens (IgG concentration was below the level of test sensitivity at the start), the administration of the drug led to a slight production in IgG and antibody.