Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Trend Of Left Ventricular Assist Device Related Complications: Insight From The National Inpatient Sample Database, Waqas Ullah, Muhammad Khawar Sana, Alexander G. Hajduczok, Yevgeniy Brailovsky, Donald C. Haas, Indranee N. Rajapreyar

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Resistant Drug-Eluting Stent Restenosis And Resurrection Of Intracoronary Brachytherapy: The Lazarus Of Contemporary Coronary Intervention, Michael P. Savage, David L. Fischman

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

A Meta-Analysis Of Standard Versus Ultrasound-Assisted Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis In The Management Of Acute Pulmonary Embolism, Elizabeth S. Bruno, Mark Terence P. Mujer, Parth V. Desai, Yevgeniy Brailovsky, Amir Darki

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

Background: Standard catheter-directed thrombolysis (SCDT) harnesses the therapeutic benefit of systemic thrombolytics while minimizing bleeding complications in patients presenting with pulmonary embolism (PE). Ultrasound-assisted catheter-directed thrombolysis (USAT) theoretically improves upon SCDT by disrupting fibrin and increasing the surface area exposed to thrombolytic agent. However, it is unclear if this translates into improved outcomes.

Methods: A systematic search of prior publications comparing SCDT and USAT in patients with intermediate or high-risk PE was conducted. Primary outcomes of interest were bleeding events, ICU and hospital length of stay. Secondary outcomes included changes in pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP), mean pulmonary artery pressure …

Outcomes Among St-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (Stemi) Patients With Cardiogenic Shock And Covid-19: A Nationwide Analysis, Bruce Adrian Casipit, Zurab Azmaiparashvili, Kevin Bryan Lo, Aman Amanullah

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

Background: There is paucity of data regarding the characteristics and outcomes of patients admitted for ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) complicated by cardiogenic shock (CS) with concomitant Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection.

Methods: Using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) Database for the year 2020, we conducted a retrospective cohort study to investigate the outcomes of patients who sustained STEMI-associated cardiogenic shock (STEMI-CS) with concomitant COVID-19 infection looking at its impact on in-hospital mortality and secondarily at the in-hospital procedure and intervention utilization rates as well as hospital length of stay.

Results: We identified a total of 22,775 patients with STEMI-CS, …

Feasibility Of Mediastinal Radiation Use In Heartmate 3 Lvad Recipients With Cancer., Nausharwan Butt, Farooq H Sheikh

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

The HeartMate 3 left ventricular assist device possesses the unique feature of having its electronics and software located within the housing of the pump, which may predispose it to malfunction from radiation exposure during cancer treatment. We investigated this association in a case series of two patients at our institution.

Reflecting On The Advancements Of Hfref Therapies Over The Last Two Decades And Predicting What Is Yet To Come, Iliana L. Piña, Gregory T. Gibson, Shelley Zieroth, Rachna Kataria

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

What was once considered a topic best avoided, managing heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) has become the focus of many drug and device therapies. While the four pillars of guideline-directed medical therapies have successfully reduced heart failure hospitalizations, and some have even impacted cardiovascular mortality in randomized controlled trials (RCTs), patient-reported outcomes have emerged as important endpoints that merit greater emphasis in future studies. The prospect of an oral inotrope seems more probable now as targets for drug therapies have moved from neurohormonal modulation to intracellular mechanisms and direct cardiac myosin stimulation. While we have come a long …

Advancing Global Equity In Cardiac Care As Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device Reuse Comes Of Age, Daniel Alyesh, Behzad B. Pavri, William Choe, Mam Chandara, Mahmoud U. Sani, Phong Dinh Phan, Aime Bonny, Paul Khairy, Sunil K. Sinha, Uma Srivatsa, Joseph E. Marine, Kim Eagle, Thomas C. Crawford, Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy, Sri Sundaram

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

A nation’s health and economic development are inextricably and synergistically connected. Stark differences exist between wealthy and developing nations in the use of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs). Cardiovascular disease is now the leading cause of death in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), with a significant burden from rhythm-related diseases. As science, technology, education, and regulatory frameworks have improved, CIED recycling for exportation and reuse in LMIC has become possible and primed for widespread adoption. In our manuscript, we outline the science and regulatory pathways regarding CIED reuse. We propose a pathway to advance this technology that includes creating a …

Clinical Characteristics And Electrophysiologic Properties Of Scn5a Variants In Fever-Induced Brugada Syndrome, Gan-Xiao Chen, Hector Barajas-Martinez, Giuseppe Ciconte, Cheng-I Wu, Michelle M Monasky, Hao Xia, Bian Li, John A Capra, Kai Guo, Zhong-He Zhang, Xiu Chen, Bo Yang, Hong Jiang, Gary Tse, Chloe Miu Mak, Yoshiyasu Aizawa, Michael H Gollob, Charles Antzelevitch, Arthur A M Wilde, Carlo Pappone, Dan Hu

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

Background: Brugada syndrome (BrS) is a severe inherited arrhythmia syndrome that can be unmasked by fever.

Methods: A multicentre clinical analysis was performed in 261 patients diagnosed with fever-induced BrS, including 198 (75.9%) and 27 (10.3%) patients who received next-generation genetic sequencing and epicardial arrhythmogenic substrate (AS) mapping, respectively.

Findings: In fever-induced BrS patients, pathogenic or likely pathogenic (P/LP) SCN5A variant carriers developed fever-induced BrS at a younger age, and more often in females and those of Caucasian descent. They exhibited significant electrophysical abnormalities, including a larger epicardial AS area, and more prolonged abnormal epicardial electrograms. During a median follow-up …

Association Between Sacubitril/Valsartan Initiation And Mitral Regurgitation Severity In Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction: The Prove-Hf Study, James L Januzzi, Alaa Mabrouk Salem Omar, Yuxi Liu, Sean Murphy, Javed Butler, G Michael Felker, Iliana L Piña, Jonathan Ward, Scott Solomon, Johanna Contreras

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Differential Patterns And Outcomes Of 20.6 Million Cardiovascular Emergency Department Encounters For Men And Women In The United States., Zahra Raisi-Estabragh, Ofer Kobo, Ayman Elbadawi, Poonam Velagapudi, Garima Sharma, Renee P Bullock-Palmer, Steffen E Petersen, Laxmi S Mehta, Waqas Ullah, Ariel Roguin, Louise Y Sun, Mamas A Mamas

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

Background We describe sex-differential disease patterns and outcomes of >20.6 million cardiovascular emergency department encounters in the United States. Methods and Results We analyzed primary cardiovascular encounters from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample between 2016 and 2018. We grouped cardiovascular diagnoses into 15 disease categories. The sample included 48.7% women; median age was 67 (interquartile range, 54-78) years. Men had greater overall baseline comorbidity burden; however, women had higher rates of obesity, hypertension, and cerebrovascular disease. For women, the most common emergency department encounters were essential hypertension (16.0%), hypertensive heart or kidney disease (14.1%), and atrial fibrillation/flutter (10.2%). For men, …

Cardiovascular Outcomes And Trends Of Transcatheter Vs. Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement Among Octogenarians With Heart Failure: A Propensity Matched National Cohort Analysis, Yasar Sattar, David Song, Talal Almas, Mohamed Zghouzi, Usama Talib, Abdul-Rahman M Suleiman, Bachar Ahmad, Junaid Arshad, Waqas Ullah, Muhammad Zia Khan, Christopher M Bianco, Rodrigo Bagur, Muhammad Rashid, Mamas A Mamas, M Chadi Alraies

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a complex clinical syndrome with symptoms and signs that result from any structural or functional impairment of ventricular filling or ejection of blood. Limited data is available regarding the in-hospital outcomes of TAVR compared to SAVR in the octogenarian population with HF.

Methods: The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database was used to compare TAVR versus SAVR among octogenarians with HF. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. The secondary outcome included acute kidney injury (AKI), cerebrovascular accident (CVA), post-procedural stroke, major bleeding, blood transfusions, sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), cardiogenic shock (CS), and mechanical circulatory support (MCS). …

Atrial Fibrillation Induced By Anticancer Drugs And Underling Mechanisms., Alexander Burashnikov

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

Cancer therapy has made major progress in the past several decades, but treatments are often accompanied by significant side effects. Arrhythmias are a widespread complication of some antineoplastic drugs, with atrial fibrillation (AF) being the most often encountered drug-associated arrhythmia. Preexisting AF risk factors are commonly present in cancer patients who develop drug-associated AF, and active cancer itself may cause or promote AF. Although anticancer drugs may induce AF in cancer patients without AF risk factors, it appears that most drug-associated AF develop when cancer drugs add or aggravate precancer-existing and/or cancer-related pro-AF factors/alterations, additively or synergistically producing AF. Abnormalities …

The Frog Sign Revisited, Christopher J. Ho, Reginald T. Ho

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

The frog sign is a classic physical examination finding of typical atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia. We present the case of a 78-year-old man with recurrent, symptomatic supraventricular tachycardia referred for ablation in whom the frog sign was observed during physical examination.

Overcoming The Cardiac Toxicities Of Cancer Therapy Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors, Omoruyi Credit Irabor, Nicolas Nelson, Yash Shah, Muneeb Khan Niazi, Spencer Poiset, Eugene Storozynsky, Dinender K Singla, D. Craig Hooper, Bo Lu

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have led recent advances in the field of cancer immunotherapy improving overall survival in multiple malignancies with abysmal prognoses prior to their introduction. The remarkable efficacy of ICIs is however limited by their potential for systemic and organ specific immune-related adverse events (irAEs), most of which present with mild to moderate symptoms that can resolve spontaneously, with discontinuation of therapy or glucocorticoid therapy. Cardiac irAEs however are potentially fatal. The understanding of autoimmune cardiotoxicity remains limited due to its rareness. In this paper, we provide an updated review of the literature on the pathologic mechanisms, diagnosis, …

Recurrent Giant Cell Myocarditis After Heart Transplant: A Case Report, Eitan S. Frankel, Alexander G. Hajduczok, Indranee N. Rajapreyar, Yevgeniy Brailovsky

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Giant cell myocarditis (GCM) is a rare but well-known cause of fulminant myocarditis. Despite optimal medical therapy, many patients progress to orthotopic heart transplant (OHT). We present a case of recurrent GCM following OHT, including complex considerations in patient management and infectious sequelae.

CASE SUMMARY: A 33-year-old previously healthy male presented with 2 months of worsening shortness of breath. Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) demonstrated a left ventricular ejection fraction of 30-35%. After ruling out an ischaemic aetiology, he was discharged on guideline-directed medical therapy and later presented with productive cough, worsening dyspnoea on exertion, and diarrhoea. He was found to …

Cardiovascular Outcomes Of Transradial Versus Transfemoral Percutaneous Coronary Intervention In End-Stage Renal Disease: A Regression-Based Comparison, Yasar Sattar, Mohammed Faisaluddin, Talal Almas, Noora Alhajri, Rajendra Shah, Mohamed Zghouzi, Fnu Zafrullah, Prasana M Sengodon, Muhammad Zia Khan, Waqas Ullah, Mahboob Alam, Sudharshan Balla, Nasser Lakkis, Akram Kawsara, Ramesh Daggubati, M Chadi Alraies

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

Background: Limited data is available on the comparison of outcomes of transradial (TR) and transfemoral (TF) access for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with end-stage stage renal disease (ESRD).

Methods: Online databases were queried to compare cardiovascular outcomes among TR. and TF in ESRD patients. The outcomes assessed included differences in mortality, cerebrovascular accidents (CVA), periprocedural myocardial infarction (MI), bleeding, transfusion, and periprocedural cardiogenic shock (CS). Unadjusted odds ratios (OR) were calculated using a random-effect effect model.

Results: A total of 6 studies including 7,607 patients (TR-PCI = 1,288; TF-PCI = 6,319) were included. The overall mean age was …

Association Between Social Vulnerability Index And Cardiovascular Disease: A Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Study, Vardhmaan Jain, Mahmoud Al Rifai, Safi U Khan, Ankur Kalra, Fatima Rodriguez, Zainab Samad, Yashashwi Pokharel, Arunima Misra, Laurence S Sperling, Jamal S Rana, Waqas Ullah, Ankit Medhekar, Salim S Virani

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

Background Social and environmental factors play an important role in the rising health care burden of cardiovascular disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) from US census data as a tool for public health officials to identify communities in need of support in the setting of a hazardous event. SVI (ranging from a least vulnerable score of 0 to a most vulnerable score of 1) ranks communities on 15 social factors including unemployment, minoritized groups status, and disability, and groups them under 4 broad themes: socioeconomic status, housing and transportation, minoritized groups, and …

Use Of Impella Devices For Acute Cardiogenic Shock In The Perioperative Period Of Cardiac Surgery, Serge Sicouri, Vishal N Shah, Meghan Buckley, Nicholas Imperato, Jacqueline Mcgee, Elena Casanova, Eric Gnall, Konstadinos A Plestis

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

Introduction: The Impella ventricular support system is a device that can be inserted percutaneously or directly across the aortic valve to unload the left ventricle. The purpose of this study is to determine the role of Impella devices in patients with acute cardiogenic shock in the perioperative period of cardiac surgery.

Methods: A retrospective single-surgeon review of 11 consecutive patients who underwent placement of Impella devices in the perioperative period of cardiac surgery was performed. Patient records were evaluated for demographics, indications for placement, and postoperative outcomes.

Results: Impella devices were placed for refractory cardiogenic shock preoperatively in 6 patients, …

Post-Discharge And Long-Term Follow-Up After An Acute Coronary Syndrome: International Collaborative Group Of Cncf Position Paper, Pierre Sabouret, Gilles Lemesle, Anne Bellemain-Appaix, Pierre Aubry, Pier-Paolo Bocchino, Erik Rafflenbeul, Loïc Belle, Jim Nolan, Marco Bernardi, Giuseppe Biondi-Zoccai, Michael P. Savage, Maciej Banach, Guillaume Cayla

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

Introduction: Long-term follow-up after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) presents a crucial challenge due to the high residual cardiovascular risk and the potential for major bleeding events. Although several treatment strategies are available, this article focuses on patients who have undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ACS, which is a frequent clinical situation. This position paper aims to support physicians in daily practice to improve the management of ACS patients.

Material and methods: A group of recognized international and French experts in the field provides an overview of current evidence-based recommendations - supplemented by expert opinion where such evidence is …

Surgical Ventricular Reconstruction For Ischemic Cardiomyopathy-A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of 7,685 Patients, Brandon Ferrell, Diana C. Jiminez, Danial Ahmad, Kabir Malkani, Jake L Rosen, Gabriel Gaw, Konstadinos A Plestis, T. Sloane Guy, H. Todd Massey, Vakhtang Tchantchaleishvili

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

Background: Surgical ventricular reconstruction (SVR) has been used to control adverse ventricular remodeling and improve cardiac function in ischemic cardiomyopathy. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to collect and analyze all available evidence on the utilization and efficacy of SVR.

Methods: An electronic database search was performed to identify all retrospective and prospective studies on SVR for ischemic cardiomyopathy in the English literature from 2000 through 2020. A total of 92 articles with a collective 7,685 patients undergoing SVR were included in the final analysis.

Results: The mean patient age was 61 years (95% CI: 59-63) and …

Fulminant Giant Cell Myocarditis Requiring Bridge With Mechanical Circulatory Support To Heart Transplantation, Yevgeniy Brailovsky Do, Msc, Amirali Masoumi Md, Rachel Bijou Md, Estefania Oliveros Md, Ms, Gabriel Sayer Md, Koji Takeda Md, Phd, Nir Uriel Md, Msc

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

Giant cell myocarditis is a rare cause of cardiogenic shock requiring a high index of suspicion, rapid immunosuppressive therapy, and mechanical circulatory support. We present the case of a patient with giant cell myocarditis who underwent a successful bridge with four different types of mechanical circulatory support devices to heart transplantation. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.)

Predictors Of Anticoagulation Adherence In Patients With Acute Pulmonary Embolism, Karim Merchan, Parth V. Desai, Stephen Morris, Sovik De Sirkar, Dalila Masic, Parth Shah, Nicolas Krepostman, Matthew Collins, Kevin Walsh, Nathalie Antonios, Lucas Chan, Sorcha Allen, Ahmad Manshad, Shannon Kuhrau, Alexandru Marginea, Ahmed Elkaryoni, Jawed Fareed, Yevgeniy Brailovsky, Amir Darki

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

Background: Anticoagulation (AC) adherence after acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is vital to prevent mortality and future recurrence of venous thromboembolism (VTE). We aimed to analyze factors affecting AC adherence after acute PE. Methods: Consecutive adult patients with CT angiography or V/Q scan confirmed acute PE were included in a single-center retrospective study from April 2016 to May 2020. Adherence data, including AC refill dates, were collected from pharmacies, and adherence measures including Continuous Measure of Medication Acquisition (CMA), Proportion of Days Covered (PDC), and Optimal Medication Adherence (OMA) were calculated per standardized formulas. Univariable and multivariable linear and logistic regression …

Hypophosphatemia Causing St Elevation In A Critically Ill Noncardiac Surgery Postoperative Patient., Joey Junarta, Gregary D Marhefka

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

The patient is a 73-year-old female with peripheral vascular disease, coronary artery disease, and systemic lupus erythematosus, who underwent mesenteric artery bypass surgery. She suffered from a pneumonia after surgery, causing acute hypoxic respiratory failure and septic shock. Due to shock, she developed acute renal failure. She was intubated, ventilated, and received continuous veno-venous hemodialysis for renal failure. ST elevation was first observed on telemetry and subsequently confirmed on electrocardiogram. Marked ST elevation is present in the anterior leads with reciprocal ST depression in the inferior leads. A prolonged QT interval is also present. What is the most likely diagnosis?

Novel Approaches To Coronary Perforations: Everything But The Kitchen Sink., Dany Jacob, Michael P Savage, David L Fischman

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Dysregulation Of Biomarkers Of Hemostatic Activation And Inflammatory Processes Are Associated With Adverse Outcomes In Pulmonary Embolism, Iman Darwish, Jawed Fareed, Yevgeniy Brailovsky, Debra Hoppensteadt, Brett Slajus, Emily Bontekoe, Frank De Stefano, Trent Reed, Amir Darki

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

Introduction: The pathophysiology of pulmonary embolism (PE) represents complex, multifactorial processes involving blood cells, vascular endothelium, and the activation of inflammatory pathways. Platelet (P), endothelial (E), and leukocyte (L)-selectin molecules may play an important role in PE pathophysiology. We aimed to profile the biomarkers of inflammation, including selectins in PE patients, and compare them to healthy individuals.

Materials and methods: 100 acute PE patients and 50 controls were included in this case control study. ELISA methods were used to quantify levels of selectins, inflammatory, and hemostatic biomarkers.

Results: In PE patients, levels of selectin molecules as compared to controls convey …

Commentary: Zoom Into The Coronary Anastomosis During Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19), Danial Ahmad, Vakhtang Tchantchaleishvili

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Utility Of Blood Cellular Indices In The Risk Stratification Of Patients Presenting With Acute Pulmonary Embolism., Brett Slajus, Yevgeniy Brailovsky, Iman Darwish, Jawed Fareed, Amir Darki

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

Pulmonary embolism (PE) clinical manifestations vary widely, and that scope is not fully captured by current all-cause mortality risk models. PE is associated with inflammatory, coagulation, and hemostatic imbalances so blood cellular indices may be prognostically useful. Complete blood count (CBC) data may improve current risk models like the simplified pulmonary embolism severity index (sPESI) for all-cause mortality, offering greater accuracy and analytic ability. Acute PE patients (n = 228) with confirmatory diagnostic imaging were followed for all-cause mortality. Blood cellular indices were assessed for association to all-cause mortality and were supplemented into sPESI using multivariate logistic regression. Multiple blood …

3 Cases Of Superior Vena Cava Syndrome Following Percutaneous Right Ventricular Assist Device Placement, John R Vaile, J. Eduardo Rame, René J Alvarez, H. Todd Massey, Vakhtang Tchantchaleishvili, Alec Vishnevsky, Indranee Rajapreyar, Yevgeniy Brailovsky, Mahek Shah

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

We present 3 cases of superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome following percutaneous right ventricular assist device (RVAD) placement. Each case underscores the importance of early recognition of SVC syndrome in patients with percutaneous RVAD insertion via the internal jugular vein and calls for heightened awareness of device-associated complications. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).

Health Care Policy And Congenital Heart Disease: 2020 Focus On Our 2030 Future, Devyani Chowdhury, Jonathan N Johnson, Carissa M Baker-Smith, Robert D B Jaquiss, Arjun K Mahendran, Valerie Curren, Aarti Bhat, Angira Patel, Audrey C Marshall, Stephanie Fuller, Bradley S Marino, Christina M Fink, Keila N Lopez, Lowell H Frank, Mishaal Ather, Natalie Torentinos, Olivia Kranz, Vivian Thorne, Ryan R Davies, Stuart Berger, Christopher Snyder, Arwa Saidi, Kenneth Shaffer

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

The congenital heart care community faces a myriad of public health issues that act as barriers toward optimum patient outcomes. In this article, we attempt to define advocacy and policy initiatives meant to spotlight and potentially address these challenges. Issues are organized into the following 3 key facets of our community: patient population, health care delivery, and workforce. We discuss the social determinants of health and health care disparities that affect patients in the community that require the attention of policy makers. Furthermore, we highlight the many needs of the growing adults with congenital heart disease and those with comorbidities, …

Conservatively Managed Chronic Bronchopleural Fistula After Lung Cancer Tri-Modality Therapy: A Case Report, Nilanjan Haldar, Christian Fernandez, Nathaniel R. Evans Iii, Maria Werner-Wasik

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.