The American journal of cardiology
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The aim of this study was to investigate how a continuous quality improvement (CQI) program affected major morbidity and postoperative outcomes after cardiac surgery. Patients were divided into 2 groups: those who underwent surgery (coronary artery bypass grafting, isolated valve surgery, or coronary artery bypass grafting and valve surgery) after the establishment of a CQI program (from January 2005 to December 2006, n = 922) and those who underwent surgery beforehand (from January 2002 to December 2003, n = 1,289). Patients who had surgery in 2004, when the system and processes were reengineered, were not included in the analysis. ⋯ After propensity score adjustment, CQI was found to decrease the rate of sepsis (odds ratio [OR] 0.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.3 to 0.9, p = 0.02) and cardiac tamponade (OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.8, p = 0.02) but to only marginally decrease the rate of acute renal failure (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.5 to 1.0, p = 0.07). CQI did not emerge as an independent risk factor for hemorrhage-related reexploration, prolonged length of stay, mediastinitis, or stroke in either multivariate logistic regression analysis or propensity score adjustment. In conclusion, the systematic implementation of a CQI program and the application of multidisciplinary protocols decrease sepsis and cardiac tamponade after cardiac surgery.
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The aim of this study was to investigate the accuracy and reproducibility of the quantification of left ventricular (LV) function by real-time 3-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) using current state-of-the-art hardware and software. Compared with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), previous generations of hardware and software for RT3DE significantly underestimated LV volumes partly because of inherent factors such as limited spatial and temporal resolution. Also, RT3DE volumes were compared with short-axis CMR data, whereas a combined short-axis and long-axis analysis is known to be superior. ⋯ Bland-Altman analyses showed mean differences of -7.1 ml, -4.2 ml, 0.2%, and -5.8 ml and 95% limits of agreement of +/-19.7 ml, +/-8.3 ml, +/-6.2%, and +/-15.4 ml for global LV end-diastolic volume, LV end-systolic volume, the LV ejection fraction, and LV phase volumes, respectively. Interobserver variability was 5.2% for global LV end-diastolic volume, 6.4% for LV end-systolic volume, and 7.6% for the LV ejection fraction. In conclusion, in patients with good acoustic windows, RT3DE using state-of-the-art technology provides accurate and reproducible measurements of global LV volumes, LV volume changes over time, and the LV ejection fraction.
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Increased cardiac troponin with chest pain is important for the diagnosis, triage, and treatment of patients in the emergency department. However, the use of troponin for the diagnosis and triage of patients without chest pain is poorly established. The aim of this study was to determine 30-day and 1-year mortality and morbidity of troponin T increases in patients without chest pain. ⋯ Outcome variables included 30-day and 1-year death, myocardial infarction, unstable angina, and coronary revascularization rates. Thirty-day (13.0% vs 4.4%; p = 0.032) and 1-year (33% vs 4.6%; p <0.001) mortality rates were significantly higher in the study group, whereas myocardial infarction, unstable angina, and revascularization were infrequent. In conclusion, patients with increased troponin T and no chest pain had a high mortality rate and required careful follow-up.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Impact of perioperative myocardial infarction on angiographic and clinical outcomes following coronary artery bypass grafting (from PRoject of Ex-vivo Vein graft ENgineering via Transfection [PREVENT] IV).
Myocardial infarction (MI) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Frequency, management, mechanisms, and angiographic and clinical outcomes associated with perioperative MI remain poorly understood. PREVENT IV was a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of edifoligide in 3,014 patients undergoing CABG. ⋯ Two-year composite clinical outcome (death, MI, or revascularization) was worse in patients with perioperative MI before (19.4% vs 15.2%; p = 0.039) and after (hazard ratio 1.33, 95% confidence interval 1.00 to 1.76, p = 0.046) adjusting for differences in significant predictors. In conclusion, perioperative MI was relatively common, was associated with worse outcomes, and mechanisms other than vein graft failure accounted for a substantial proportion of these MIs. Further research is needed into the prevention and treatment of perioperative MI in patients undergoing CABG.
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Borderline increase of troponin I (cTnI) is associated with higher rates of cardiovascular events compared with normal levels in the setting of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), but the significance of borderline cTnI levels in patients without chest pain may differ. The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic implications of intermediate serum cTnI levels in patients without ACS in the intensive care unit (ICU). This was a 12-month retrospective study of 240 patients without ACS in the ICU with normal (<0.1 ng/ml) or intermediate (0.1 to 1.49 ng/ml) cTnI levels. ⋯ Intermediate cTnI had no prognostic implications regarding length of hospital stay, readmission rate, or postdischarge mortality at 6 months. In conclusion, an intermediate level of cTnI in patients without ACS in the ICU is an independent prognostic marker predicting in-hospital mortality and length of ICU stay. Patients with intermediate cTnI levels who survive to discharge have equivalent out-of-hospital courses for up to 6 months compared with patients with normal cTnI levels.