Clinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society
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Intravenous inotropic therapy may be necessary to achieve short-term survival in end-stage heart failure patients with cardiogenic shock or extreme low output and severe organ hypoperfusion. However, mid- or long-term intravenous inotropic therapy is associated with an increased mortality in advanced stage D heart failure patients using β-adrenoceptor agonists (dobutamine) or PDE-3-inhibitors (milrinone). Intermittent levosimendan may evolve as a reasonable therapeutic option. ⋯ In addition, it might create a disincentive to achieve the HU status as well as keeping it, thereby potentially exposing the patient to an unnecessary additional risk. Upcoming new allocation algorithms may possibly help to improve the inadequate present situation. There is need for both, a better definition and a better treatment of high risk terminal heart failure requiring high urgent transplant listing.
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Transvascular (TV-AVI) or transapical (TA-AVI) aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a treatment option for patients with aortic stenosis being at high or prohibitive risk for surgical aortic valve implantation (SAVR). Randomized data demonstrated that these subgroups can safely been treated with TAVI. However, a comparison of SAVR and TAVI in intermediate and low-risk patients is missing. Therefore, the aim of the analysis was to compare TAVI and SAVR in all patients who were treated for aortic valve stenosis in Germany throughout 1 year. ⋯ This study demonstrates that TAVI provides excellent outcomes in all risk categories. Compared with SAVR, TV-TAVI yields similar in-hospital mortality among low-risk patients and lower in-hospital mortality among intermediate and high-risk patient populations.
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The risk of neurological damage following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) vs. surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in severe aortic stenosis patients deemed to be at intermediate surgical risk is unknown. In this target population, the degree of neurological damage was compared using brain diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) and cognitive testing. ⋯ TAVI and SAVR were associated with a similar rate of acute silent ischemic cerebral lesions in intermediate risk patients. Although acute lesions occurred very frequently in both strategies, their cognitive impact was not clinically relevant.