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Journal of Cardiology Jan 2016Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging technique extensively used for visualizing the coronary circulation, where it assists clinical decision-making. Along... (Review)
Review
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging technique extensively used for visualizing the coronary circulation, where it assists clinical decision-making. Along with the new interventional procedures being introduced for pulmonary vascular disease, there is an increasing need for intravascular imaging of the pulmonary arteries. Additionally, measurements of the wall thickness of the pulmonary arteries of patients with various types of pulmonary hypertension (PH) may provide relevant diagnostic and prognostic information. The aim of this review is to summarize all the available evidence on the use of OCT for imaging the pulmonary bed and to describe a simple protocol for OCT image acquisition. We conducted a systematic review of the literature using electronic reference databases through February 2015 (MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Web of Knowledge, and references cited in other studies) and the search terms "optical coherence tomography," "pulmonary hypertension," and "pulmonary arteries." Studies in which OCT was used to image the pulmonary vessels were considered for inclusion. We identified 14 studies reporting OCT imaging data from the pulmonary arteries. OCT was able to identify intravascular thrombi in patients with chronic thromboembolic PH (CTEPH), and an increase in vessel wall thickness was found in most patients with PH, compared with the controls. OCT has also been reported to be useful for the selection of balloon size in the setting of balloon pulmonary angioplasty for CTEPH. The main limitations include lack of standardization, little data on outcomes, cost, and the technical limitations involved in visualizing small-diameter (<1mm) pulmonary vessels. OCT has become a potential tool for the in vivo study of vascular changes in the pulmonary arteries, and may provide additional information in the assessment of patients with PH. Prospective high-quality studies assessing the safety, validity, and clinical impact of OCT imaging for pulmonary vessels are warranted.
Topics: Angioplasty, Balloon; Humans; Pulmonary Artery; Radiography; Thromboembolism; Tomography, Optical Coherence
PubMed: 26572955
DOI: 10.1016/j.jjcc.2015.09.024 -
Sports Medicine - Open Sep 2018Swimming-induced pulmonary oedema (SIPE) can affect people with no underlying health problems, but may be life threatening and is poorly understood. The aim of this... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Swimming-induced pulmonary oedema (SIPE) can affect people with no underlying health problems, but may be life threatening and is poorly understood. The aim of this systematic review was to synthesise the evidence on SIPE incidence, prevalence, risk factors, short- and long-term outcomes, recurrence and effectiveness of interventions to prevent recurrences.
METHODS
We carried out a literature search using bibliographic databases and reference lists. Risk of bias was assessed by adapting existing quality assessment tools including those developed by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.
RESULTS
Nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Quantitative synthesis was not possible because of study heterogeneity. Five studies, which differed from each other in case definition, swimming environment, population characteristics and denominators, reported an incidence of 0.01% of UK triathlons raced over 5 years in unspecified swimming environments (one study, not fully reported, of men and women of unspecified age); 0.5% of river races swum over 3 days in Sweden (one study, of men and women up to the age of 70); and 1.8-26.7% of time trials in the sea around Israel (three studies of male teenage military trainees). One study reported that 1.4% of triathletes in the USA had experienced SIPE. One study found that hypertension, female sex, fish oil use, long course distance and another lower initial lung volumes and flows were risk factors for SIPE. A third study reported that higher mean pulmonary artery pressures and pulmonary artery wedge pressures, and lower tidal volumes were associated with SIPE. Three studies suggested that SIPE symptoms usually resolve within 24 h, although a restrictive deficit in lung function persisted for a week in one small study. We found no studies that reported deaths from SIPE. The single small study of longer-term outcomes reported no difference between affected and unaffected swimmers. Two studies suggested that around 30% of people report recurrences of SIPE. Two very small uncontrolled studies of the effect of sildenafil for recurrence prevention were inconclusive.
CONCLUSIONS
SIPE may be an important public health problem affecting the growing number of recreational open water swimmers. Further research should clarify the frequency of SIPE among recreational open water swimmers, confirm reported risk factors and explore others, explore long-term consequences and test interventions to prevent recurrences.
PubMed: 30238206
DOI: 10.1186/s40798-018-0158-8 -
Pulmonary Circulation 2021Pregnancy is hazardous with pulmonary arterial hypertension, but maternal mortality may have fallen in recent years. We sought to systematically evaluate pulmonary... (Review)
Review
Pregnancy is hazardous with pulmonary arterial hypertension, but maternal mortality may have fallen in recent years. We sought to systematically evaluate pulmonary arterial hypertension and pregnancy-related outcomes in the last decade. We searched for articles describing outcomes in pregnancy cohorts published between 2008 and 2018. A total of 3658 titles were screened and 13 studies included for analysis. Pooled incidences and percentages of maternal and perinatal outcomes were calculated. Results showed that out of 272 pregnancies, 214 pregnancies advanced beyond 20 gestational weeks. The mean maternal age was 28 ± 2 years, mean pulmonary artery systolic pressure on echocardiogram was 76 ± 19 mmHg. Etiologies include idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (22%), congenital heart disease (64%), and others (15%). Majority (74%) had good functional class I/II. Only 48% of women received pulmonary arterial hypertension-specific therapy. Premature deliveries occur in 58% of pregnancies at mean of 34 ± 1 weeks, most (76%) had Cesarean section. Maternal mortality rate was 12% overall ( = 26); even higher for idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension etiology alone (20%). Reported causes of death included right heart failure, cardiac arrest, pulmonary arterial hypertension crises, pre-eclampsia, and sepsis; 61% of maternal deaths occur at 0-4 days postpartum. Stillbirth rate was 3% and neonatal mortality rate was 1%. In conclusion, pulmonary arterial hypertension in pregnancy continues to be perilous with high maternal mortality rate. Continued prospective studies are needed.
PubMed: 34104423
DOI: 10.1177/20458940211013671 -
Annals of Intensive Care Apr 2020The echocardiography working group of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine recognized the need to provide structured guidance for future CCE research... (Review)
Review
Systematic review and literature appraisal on methodology of conducting and reporting critical-care echocardiography studies: a report from the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine PRICES expert panel.
BACKGROUND
The echocardiography working group of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine recognized the need to provide structured guidance for future CCE research methodology and reporting based on a systematic appraisal of the current literature. Here is reported this systematic appraisal.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic review, registered on the Prospero database. A total of 43 items of common interest to all echocardiography studies were initially listed by the experts, and other "topic-specific" items were separated into five main categories of interest (left ventricular systolic function, LVSF n = 15, right ventricular function, RVF n = 18, left ventricular diastolic function, LVDF n = 15, fluid management, FM n = 7, and advanced echocardiography techniques, AET n = 17). We evaluated the percentage of items reported per study and the fraction of studies reporting a single item.
RESULTS
From January 2000 till December 2017 a total of 209 articles were included after systematic search and screening, 97 for LVSF, 48 for RVF, 51 for LVDF, 36 for FM and 24 for AET. Shock and ARDS were relatively common among LVSF articles (both around 15%) while ARDS comprised 25% of RVF articles. Transthoracic echocardiography was the main echocardiography mode, in 87% of the articles for AET topic, followed by 81% for FM, 78% for LVDF, 70% for LVSF and 63% for RVF. The percentage of items per study as well as the fraction of study reporting an item was low or very low, except for FM. As an illustration, the left ventricular size was only reported by 56% of studies in the LVSF topic, and half studies assessing RVF reported data on pulmonary artery systolic pressure.
CONCLUSION
This analysis confirmed sub-optimal reporting of several items listed by an expert panel. The analysis will help the experts in the development of guidelines for CCE study design and reporting.
PubMed: 32335780
DOI: 10.1186/s13613-020-00662-y -
Emergency Radiology Aug 2022Chest CT is valuable to detect alternative diagnoses/complications of COVID-19, while its role for prognostication requires further investigation. Non-pulmonary... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Chest CT is valuable to detect alternative diagnoses/complications of COVID-19, while its role for prognostication requires further investigation. Non-pulmonary radiological findings such as cardiovascular calcifications could increase the predictivity of clinical outcomes of COVID-19 patients beyond pulmonary involvement. Several observational studies have reported mixed results on the role of coronary calcifications in COVID-19 patients as a predictor of hospitalization, ventilatory support, and mortality. The purpose of the study is to systematically review the available evidence on the predictive role of cardiovascular calcifications in SARS-CoV2 disease. The meta-analysis confirms the prognostic significance of coronary calcifications on hospital mortality, and coronary calcifications (CAC ≠ 0) were associated with an OR for mortality of 2.19 (95% CI 1.36-3.52). CAC was neutral on respiratory outcomes, but it was associated with an increased trend of cardiovascular events. Coronary calcium appears as a promising biomarker imaging even in short-term outcomes (MACEs, hospital mortality) in a non-cardiovascular disease such as Sars-CoV2 infection. Further large studies are needed to confirm promising results of this imaging biomarker in non-cardiovascular disease.
Topics: COVID-19; Calcinosis; Coronary Angiography; Coronary Artery Disease; Coronary Vessels; Humans; RNA, Viral; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 35501615
DOI: 10.1007/s10140-022-02048-y -
European Respiratory Review : An... Mar 2020Schistosomiasis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (Sch-PAH) is a life-threatening complication of chronic hepatosplenic schistosomiasis. It is suggested to be... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Schistosomiasis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (Sch-PAH) is a life-threatening complication of chronic hepatosplenic schistosomiasis. It is suggested to be the leading cause of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) worldwide. However, pathophysiological data on Sch-PAH are scarce. We examined the hypothesis that there are pronounced similarities in pathophysiology, haemodynamics, and survival of Sch-PAH and idiopathic PAH (iPAH).This systematic review and meta-analysis was registered in the PROSPERO database (identifier CRD42018104066). A systematic search and review of the literature was performed according to PRISMA guidelines for studies published between 01 January 1990 and 29 June 2018.For Sch-PAH, 18 studies evaluating pathophysiological mechanisms, eight studies on haemodynamics (n=277), and three studies on survival (n=191) were identified. 16 clinical registries reporting data on haemodynamics and survival including a total of 5792 patients with iPAH were included for comparison. Proinflammatory molecular pathways are involved in both Sch-PAH and iPAH. The transforming growth factor (TGF)-β signalling pathway is upregulated in Sch-PAH and iPAH. While there was no difference in mean pulmonary artery pressure (54±17 mmHg 55±15 mmHg, p=0.29), cardiac output (4.4±1.3 L·min 4.1±1.4 L·min, p=0.046), and cardiac index (2.6±0.7 L·min·m 2.3±0.8 L·min·m, p<0.001) were significantly higher in Sch-PAH compared to iPAH, resulting in a lower pulmonary vascular resistance in Sch-PAH (10±6 Woods units 13±7 Woods units, p<0.001). 1- and 3-year survival were significantly better in the Sch-PAH group (p<0.001).Sch-PAH and iPAH share common pathophysiological mechanisms related to inflammation and the TGF-β signalling pathway. Patients with Sch-PAH show a significantly better haemodynamic profile and survival than patients with iPAH.
Topics: Animals; Arterial Pressure; Familial Primary Pulmonary Hypertension; Humans; Prognosis; Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension; Pulmonary Artery; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Schistosomiasis
PubMed: 32024722
DOI: 10.1183/16000617.0089-2019 -
Medicine Sep 2023The study aimed to evaluate survival rates and prognosis in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) using meta-analysis. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
The study aimed to evaluate survival rates and prognosis in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) using meta-analysis.
METHODS
PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane central register of controlled trials, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Science and Technology Journal Database, Wan-Fang Database, and Chinese biomedical database were searched. Information and data were screened and extracted by 2 researchers. The obtained data were analyzed using the R software meta package. Quality assessment was conducted using Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The causes of heterogeneity were analyzed using subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis. Publication bias was evaluated using Begger funnel plots and Egger test.
RESULTS
The search strategy yielded a total of 21 studies involving 875 patients included in the final analysis. The pooled 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates of patients with SLE-PH were 0.9020 (95%CI: 0.8576; 0.9397), 0.8363 (96%CI: 0.7813; 0.8852), 0.7301 (95%CI: 0.6327; 0.8181). The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates of echocardiography subgroup were 0.9000 (95%CI: 0.8480; 0.9551), 0.8435 (95%CI: 0.7744; 0.9187), 0.6795 (95%CI: 0.5746; 0.8035), respectively; and there were 0.9174 (95%CI: 0.8951; 0.9402), 0.8529 (95%CI: 0.8255; 0.8812), 0.7757 (95%CI: 0.7409; 0.8121) at right heart catheterization subgroup in the meantime. Multivariate analysis for predicting mortality in SLE-PH patients revealed that diminishing left ventricular ejection fraction, New York Heart Association classification, lupus nephritis, lower cardiac index, and higher red blood cell distribution width level were significantly associated with a higher mortality rate. Treatment with huge doses of cyclophosphamide, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion/pulmonary artery systolic pressure, and Raynaud phenomenon signaled favorable outcomes.
CONCLUSION
The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates of SLE-PH patients in recent years (0.9020, 0.8363, 0.7301) were estimated in this study. SLE-PH patients diagnosed by echocardiography have a worse long-term prognosis than those diagnosed by right heart catheterization. Studies after 2015 have shown significantly better survival than earlier studies.
Topics: Humans; Hypertension, Pulmonary; Stroke Volume; Ventricular Function, Left; Prognosis; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic
PubMed: 37682181
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000034947 -
Cardiology Research Apr 2018The mortality rate of post-infarction cardiogenic shock (CS) was 80.0-90.0%. Recent studies show a significant reduction of hospital mortality to approximately 50.0%. CS... (Review)
Review
The mortality rate of post-infarction cardiogenic shock (CS) was 80.0-90.0%. Recent studies show a significant reduction of hospital mortality to approximately 50.0%. CS is defined as systemic tissue hypoperfusion resulting from systolic and/or diastolic heart dysfunction, the main cause of which is acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The main predictors are biological markers such as troponin, CKMB and lactate. A systematic literature review and meta-analysis is performed in order to present and correlate the main literary findings on CS and its evolution with possible changes in biomarkers such as troponin, lactate and CKMB. After criteria of literary search with the use of the mesh terms: cardiogenic shock; acute myocardial infarction; biomarkers; troponin; CKMB; lactate; clinical trials and use of the bouleanos "and" between the mesh terms and "or" among the historical findings. In the main databases such as Pubmed, Medline, Bireme, EBSCO, Scielo, etc., a total of 96 papers that were submitted to the eligibility analysis were collated and, after that, 41 studies were selected, following the rules of systematic review - PRISMA (Transparent reporting of systematic reviews and meta-analyzes-http://www.prisma-statement.org/). Some risk factors for its development in AMI are advanced age, female gender, anterior wall infarction, diabetes mellitus, systemic arterial hypertension, previous history of infarction and angina. The CS associated with AMI depends on its extent and its complications, being the main ones: mitral regurgitation, rupture of the interventricular septum and rupture of the free wall of the left ventricule. The diagnosis is based on the clinical manifestations, such as mental confusion, oliguria, hypotension, tachycardia, fine pulse, sweating, and cold extremities; in hemodynamic aspects: systolic blood pressure was < 90.0 mm Hg or 30 mm Hg below baseline, pulmonary capillary pressure was > 18.0 mm Hg and cardiac index was < 2.2 L/min/m. Laboratory and imaging exams should be requested to evaluate the possible etiology of CS, its systemic repercussions and comorbidities. The treatment aims at the rapid reestablishment of the blood flow in the affected artery, to improve the patient's prognosis. The biomarkers dosage in the daily clinical practice of the different cardiological centers can facilitate the diagnosis and the conduction of the dubious cases and the best evaluation of the degree of myocardial suffering after CS.
PubMed: 29755623
DOI: 10.14740/cr715w -
Journal of Personalized Medicine Apr 2022Patients with severe aortic valve stenosis and concomitant pulmonary hypertension show a significantly reduced survival prognosis. Right heart catheterization as a... (Review)
Review
Severe Aortic Valve Stenosis and Pulmonary Hypertension: A Systematic Review of Non-Invasive Ways of Risk Stratification, Especially in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.
Patients with severe aortic valve stenosis and concomitant pulmonary hypertension show a significantly reduced survival prognosis. Right heart catheterization as a preoperative diagnostic tool to determine pulmonary hypertension has been largely abandoned in recent years in favor of echocardiographic criteria. Clinically, determination of echocardiographically estimated systolic pulmonary artery pressure falls far short of invasive right heart catheterization data in terms of accuracy. The aim of the present systematic review was to highlight noninvasive possibilities for the detection of pulmonary hypertension in patients with severe aortic valve stenosis, with a special focus on cardiovascular biomarkers. A total of 525 publications regarding echocardiography, cardiovascular imaging and biomarkers related to severe aortic valve stenosis and pulmonary hypertension were analyzed in a systematic database analysis using PubMed Central. Finally, 39 publications were included in the following review. It was shown that the current scientific data situation, especially regarding cardiovascular biomarkers as non-invasive diagnostic tools for the determination of pulmonary hypertension in severe aortic valve stenosis patients, is poor. Thus, there is a great scientific potential to combine different biomarkers (biomarker scores) in a non-invasive way to determine the presence or absence of PH.
PubMed: 35455719
DOI: 10.3390/jpm12040603 -
Metabolites Sep 2022The coronavirus 2019 pandemic has affected many healthcare systems worldwide. While acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has been well-documented in COVID-19,... (Review)
Review
The coronavirus 2019 pandemic has affected many healthcare systems worldwide. While acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has been well-documented in COVID-19, there are several cardiovascular complications, such as myocardial infarction, ischaemic stroke, and pulmonary embolism, leading to disability and death. The link between COVID-19 and increasing thrombogenicity potentially occurs due to numerous different metabolic mechanisms, ranging from endothelial damage for direct virus infection, associated excessive formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), pathogenic activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), direct myocardial injury, and ischemia induced by respiratory failure, all of which have measurable biomarkers. A search was performed by interrogating three databases (MEDLINE; MEDLINE In-Process and Other Non-Indexed Citations, and EMBASE). Evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCT), prospective series, meta-analyses, and unmatched observational studies were evaluated for the processing of the algorithm and treatment of thromboembolic disease and cardiac thrombotic complications related to COVID-19 during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Studies out with the SARS-Cov-2 infection period and case reports were excluded. A total of 58 studies were included in this analysis. The role of the acute inflammatory response in the propagation of the systemic inflammatory sequelae of the disease plays a major part in determining thromboembolic disease and cardiac thrombotic complication in COVID-19. Some of the mechanisms of activation of these pathways, alongside the involved biomarkers noted in previous studies, are highlighted. Inflammatory response led to thromboembolic disease and cardiac thrombotic complications in COVID-19. NETs play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of the inflammatory response. Despite moving into the endemic phase of the disease in most countries, thromboembolic complications in COVID-19 remain an entity that substantially impacts the health care system, with long-term effects that remain uncertain. Continuous monitoring and research are required.
PubMed: 36295791
DOI: 10.3390/metabo12100889