Journal of the American Heart Association
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Observational Study
Limitations of Specific Coagulation Tests for Direct Oral Anticoagulants: A Critical Analysis.
Background During treatment with direct oral anticoagulants ( DOAC ), coagulation assessment is required before thrombolysis, surgery, and if anticoagulation reversal is evaluated. Limited data support the accuracy of DOAC -specific coagulation assays around the current safe-for-treatment threshold of 30 ng/ mL. Methods and Results In 481 samples obtained from 96 patients enrolled at a single center, DOAC concentrations were measured using Hemoclot direct thrombin inhibitor assay, Biophen direct thrombin inhibitor assay or ecarin clotting time for dabigatran, chromogenic anti-Xa assay ( AXA ) for factor Xa inhibitors (rivaroxaban, apixaban) and ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry as reference. ⋯ Hence, AXA results need to be interpreted with extreme caution when used to assess hemostatic function in patients on apixaban. Clinical Trial Registration URL : https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifiers: NCT 02371044, NCT 02371070.
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Background The American Heart Association recommends use of physiologic feedback when available to optimize chest compression delivery. We compared hemodynamic parameters during cardiopulmonary resuscitation in which either end-tidal carbon dioxide ( ETCO 2) or diastolic blood pressure ( DBP ) levels were used to guide chest compression delivery after asphyxial cardiac arrest. Methods and Results One- to 2-week-old swine underwent a 17-minute asphyxial-fibrillatory cardiac arrest followed by alternating 2-minute periods of ETCO 2-guided and DBP -guided chest compressions during 10 minutes of basic life support and 10 minutes of advanced life support. ⋯ DBP -guided chest compressions were associated with a higher myocardial perfusion pressure (6.0±2.8 versus 2.4±3.2; P=0.02) and cerebral perfusion pressure (9.0±3.0 versus 5.5±4.3; P=0.047). Conclusions Using the ETCO 2 or DBP level to optimize chest compression delivery results in physiologic changes that are method-specific and occur within 30 s. Additional studies are needed to develop protocols for the use of these potentially conflicting physiologic targets to improve outcomes of prolonged cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
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Multicenter Study
Frailty and Outcomes After Myocardial Infarction: Insights From the CONCORDANCE Registry.
Background Little is known about the prognostic implications of frailty, a state of susceptibility to stressors and poor recovery to homeostasis in older people, after myocardial infarction ( MI ). Methods and Results We studied 3944 MI patients aged ≥65 years treated at 41 Australian hospitals from 2009 to 2016 in the CONCORDANCE ( Australian Cooperative National Registry of Acute Coronary Care, Guideline Adherence and Clinical Events ) registry. Frailty index ( FI ) was determined using the health deficit accumulation method. ⋯ Conclusions Frail patients receive lower rates of invasive cardiac care during MI hospitalization. Increased frailty was independently associated with increased postdischarge all-cause mortality but not cardiac-specific mortality. These findings inform identification of frailty during MI hospitalization as a potential opportunity to address competing risks for mortality in this high-risk population.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Predicting Bleeding Events in Anticoagulated Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: A Comparison Between the HAS-BLED and GARFIELD-AF Bleeding Scores.
Background Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) treated with oral anticoagulants may be exposed to an increased risk of bleeding events. The HAS-BLED (Hypertension, Abnormal renal and liver function, Stroke, Bleeding, Labile INRs, Elderly, Drugs or alcohol) score is a simple, well-established, clinical bleeding-risk prediction score. Recently, a new algorithm-based score was proposed, the GARFIELD-AF (Global Anticoagulant in the Field-AF) bleeding score. ⋯ The GARFIELD-AF bleeding score had a significantly lower sensitivity and a negative reclassification for any bleeding compared with HAS-BLED, assessed by integrated discrimination improvement and net reclassification improvement (both P<0.001). HAS-BLED showed a 5% net benefit for any bleeding occurrence. Conclusions The algorithm-based GARFIELD-AF bleeding score did not show any significant improvement in major and major/clinically relevant nonmajor prediction compared with the simple HAS-BLED score. For clinical usefulness in prediction of any bleeding, the HAS-BLED score showed a significant net benefit compared with the GARFIELD-AF.
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Background The Institute of Medicine has called for actions to understand and target sex-related differences in care and outcomes for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients. We assessed changes in bystander and first-responder interventions and outcomes for males versus females after statewide efforts to improve cardiac arrest care. Methods and Results We identified out-of-hospital cardiac arrests from North Carolina (2010-2014) through the CARES (Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival) registry. ⋯ Adding bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation before EMS (modifiable factors) did not substantially change the results. Conclusions Bystander and first-responder interventions increased for men and women, but outcomes improved significantly only for men. Additional strategies may be necessary to improve survival among female cardiac arrest patients.