RESUMEN

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Prophylactic implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) are not recommended until left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) has been reassessed 40 to 90 days after an acute myocardial infarction. In the current therapeutic era, the prognosis of sustained ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) occurring during this early post-infarction phase (i.e. within 3 months of hospital discharge) has not yet been specifically evaluated in post-myocardial infarction patients with impaired LVEF. Such was the aim of this retrospective study. METHODS: Data analysis was based on a nationwide registry of 1032 consecutive patients with LVEF ≤ 35% after acute myocardial infarction who were implanted with an ICD after being prescribed a wearable cardioverter-defibrillator (WCD) for a period of 3 months upon discharge from hospital after the index infarction. RESULTS: ICDs were implanted either because a sustained VA occurred while on WCD (VA+/WCD, n = 72) or because LVEF remained ≤35% at the end of the early post-infarction phase (VA-/WCD, n = 960). The median follow-up was 30.9 months. Sustained VAs occurred within 1 year after ICD implantation in 22.2% and 3.5% of VA+/WCD and VA-/WCD patients, respectively (P < .0001). The adjusted multivariable analysis showed that sustained VAs while on WCD independently predicted recurrence of sustained VAs at 1 year (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 6.91; 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.73-12.81; P < .0001) and at the end of follow-up (adjusted HR 3.86; 95% CI 2.37-6.30; P < .0001) as well as 1-year mortality (adjusted HR 2.86; 95% CI 1.28-6.39; P = .012). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with LVEF ≤ 35%, sustained VA during the early post-infarction phase is predictive of recurrent sustained VAs and 1-year mortality.

RESUMEN

INTRODUCTION: Chest X-ray (CXR) widely used, but the prognostic value of congestion quantification using CXR remains uncertain. The main objective of the present study was to assess whether initial quantification of lung congestion evaluated by CXR [and its interplay with estimated plasma volume status (ePVS)] in patients with worsening heart failure (WHF) is associated with in-hospital and short-term clinical outcome. METHODS: We studied 117 patients hospitalized for WHF in the ICALOR HF disease management program. Pulmonary congestion was estimated using congestion score index (CSI, range 0 to 3) evaluated from 6 lung areas on CXR. Systemic congestion was assessed by ePVS. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess length of stay and the composite of all-cause death or HF re-hospitalization at 90 days. RESULTS: Patients were divided according to the median of admission CSI (median = 2.20) and ePVS (median = 5.38). Higher CSI was significantly associated with higher pulmonary arterial systolic pressure in multivariable models. Multivariable models showed patients with high CSI/high ePVS had a 6-day longer length of stay [OR (95% CI) = 6.78 (1.82-29.79), p < 0.01] and 5-fold higher risk of 90-day composite outcome [OR (95% CI) = 5.13 (1.26-25.11) p = 0.03] compared to patients with low CSI/low ePVS, while other configurations (either isolated high CSI or high ePVS) yielded neutral associations. Furthermore, CSI and ePVS significantly improved reclassification on top of clinical covariates for the composite outcome [Net reclassification index = 37.3% (0.52-87.0), p = 0.046]. CONCLUSION: An admission assessment of pulmonary and systemic congestion in WHF patients using CSI and ePVS can identify a cluster of high-risk patients at short-term outcomes.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

AIMS: Pulmonary congestion is associated with poor prognosis following hospitalization for worsening heart failure (HF), although its quantification and optimal timing during HF hospitalization remains challenging. The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of radiographic pulmonary congestion at admission and discharge in patients with worsening HF. METHODS AND RESULTS: Clinical, echocardiographic, laboratory and chest X-ray data of 292 acute decompensated HF patients were retrospectively studied (follow-up 1 year). Lung congestion was blindly scored on chest X-ray performed at admission and discharge using a systematic 6-zone approach. Primary clinical outcome was a composite outcome of re-hospitalization for worsening HF or all cause death. Patients were stratified according to the median of congestion score index (CSI) at both admission (median CSI(A) = 1.33) and discharge (median CSI(D) = 0.33). BNP levels, LVEF and eGFR did not differ between CSI categories. In multivariable Cox regression analysis, discharge CSI (HR for 1-point increase = 1.83 [1.02 to 3.27] p = 0.04) and discharge BNP were significantly associated with the composite outcome whereas NYHA class, physical signs, admission CSI and echocardiographic data were not. Furthermore, discharge CSI significantly increased reclassification on top of clinical covariates (continuous NRI = 19.6% [4.0 to 30.0] p = 0.03 and IDI = 2.2% [0.0 to 7.6] p = 0.046) while discharge BNP did not significantly improve risk reclassification. CONCLUSIONS: Residual pulmonary congestion assessed by radiographic scoring predicts poor prognosis beyond physical assessment, echocardiographic parameters and BNP. These findings further support the capital prognostic value of radiographic pulmonary congestion in patients hospitalized for worsening HF.

Asunto(s)