-
BMC Medical Imaging Jul 2015Patients evaluated for acute and chronic chest pain comprise a large, heterogeneous group that often provides diagnostic challenges. Although speckle tracking... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Patients evaluated for acute and chronic chest pain comprise a large, heterogeneous group that often provides diagnostic challenges. Although speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) has proved to have diagnostic value in acute coronary syndrome it is not commonly incorporated in everyday practice. The purpose of the present systematic review was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of left ventricular (LV) longitudinal function by STE to predict significant coronary artery stenosis (CAD+) or not (CAD-) verified by coronary angiography in patients with chest pain suspected to be of cardiac ischemic origin.
METHODS
4 electronic databases; Embase, Medline, Cochrane and PubMed ahead-of print were searched for per 19.05.14. Only full-sized articles including >40 patients were selected.
RESULTS
A total of 166 citations were identified, 16 full-size articles were assessed of which 6 were found eligible for this review. Of 781 patients included 397 (60%) had CAD+. The overall weighted mean global longitudinal strain (GLS) was -17.2% (SD=2.6) among CAD+ vs. -19.2% (SD=2.8) in CAD- patients. Mean area under curve in 4 studies for predicting CAD+ ranged from 0.68 to 0.80. The study cut-off levels for prediction of CAD+ in the ROC analysis varied between -17.4% and -19.7% with sensitivity from 51% to 81% and specificity between 58% and 81%. In 1 study GLS obtained during dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) had the best accuracy. Regional strain measurements were not uniform, but may have potential in detecting CAD.
CONCLUSIONS
GLS measurements at rest only have modest diagnostic accuracy in predicting CAD+ among patients presenting with acute or chronic chest pain. The results from regional strain, layer specific strain and DSE need to be verified in larger studies.
Topics: Coronary Stenosis; Echocardiography; Elasticity Imaging Techniques; Female; Humans; Male; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Stroke Volume; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left
PubMed: 26204938
DOI: 10.1186/s12880-015-0067-y -
Therapeutics and Clinical Risk... 2015Vasopressor agents are often prescribed in septic shock. However, their effects remain controversial. We conducted a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis...
OBJECTIVE
Vasopressor agents are often prescribed in septic shock. However, their effects remain controversial. We conducted a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis to compare the effects among different types of vasopressor agents.
DATA SOURCES
We searched for relevant studies in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases from database inception until December 2014.
STUDY SELECTION
Randomized controlled trials in adults with septic shock that evaluated different vasopressor agents were selected.
DATA EXTRACTION
Two authors independently selected studies and extracted data on study characteristics, methods, and outcomes.
DATA SYNTHESIS
Twenty-one trials (n=3,819) met inclusion criteria, which compared eleven vasopressor agents or vasopressor combinations (norepinephrine [NE], dopamine [DA], vasopressin [VP], epinephrine [EN], terlipressin [TP], phenylephrine [PE], TP+NE, TP + dobutamine [DB], NE+DB, NE+EN, and NE + dopexamine [DX]). Except for the superiority of NE over DA, the mortality of patients treated with any vasopressor agent or vasopressor combination was not significantly different. Compared to DA, NE was found to be associated with decreased cardiac adverse events, heart rate (standardized mean difference [SMD]: -2.10; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -3.95, -0.25; P=0.03), and cardiac index (SMD: -0.73; 95% CI: -1.14, -0.03; P=0.004) and increased systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI) (SMD: 1.03; 95% CI: 0.61, 1.45; P<0.0001). This Bayesian meta-analysis revealed a possible rank of probability of mortality among the eleven vasopressor agents or vasopressor combinations; from lowest to highest, they are NE+DB, EN, TP, NE+EN, TP+NE, VP, TP+DB, NE, PE, NE+DX, and DA.
CONCLUSION
In terms of survival, NE may be superior to DA. Otherwise, there is insufficient evidence to suggest that any other vasopressor agent or vasopressor combination is superior to another. When compared to DA, NE is associated with decreased heart rate, cardiac index, and cardiovascular adverse events, as well as increased SVRI. The effects of vasopressor agents or vasopressor combinations on mortality in patients with septic shock require further investigation.
PubMed: 26203253
DOI: 10.2147/TCRM.S80060 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Mar 2015Children with congenital heart disease often undergo heart surgery at a young age. They are at risk for postoperative low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS) or death.... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Children with congenital heart disease often undergo heart surgery at a young age. They are at risk for postoperative low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS) or death. Milrinone may be used to provide inotropic and vasodilatory support during the immediate postoperative period.
OBJECTIVES
This review examines the effectiveness of prophylactic postoperative use of milrinone to prevent LCOS or death in children having undergone surgery for congenital heart disease.
SEARCH METHODS
Electronic and manual literature searches were performed to identify randomised controlled trials. We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE and Web of Science in February 2014 and conducted a top-up search in September 2014 as well as clinical trial registries and reference lists of published studies. We did not apply any language restrictions.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Only randomised controlled trials were selected for analysis. We considered studies with newborn infants, infants, toddlers, and children up to 12 years of age.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two review authors independently extracted data according to a pre-defined protocol. We obtained additional information from all study authors.
MAIN RESULTS
Three of the five included studies compared milrinone versus levosimendan, one study compared milrinone with placebo, and one compared milrinone verus dobutamine, with 101, 242, and 50 participants, respectively. Three trials were at low risk of bias while two were at higher risk of bias. The number and definitions of outcomes were non-uniform as well. In one study comparing two doses of milrinone and placebo, there was some evidence in an overall comparison of milrinone versus placebo that milrinone lowered risk for LCOS (risk ratio (RR) 0.52, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.28 to 0.96; 227 participants). The results from two small studies do not provide enough information to determine whether milrinone increases the risk of LCOS when compared to levosimendan (RR 1.22, 95% CI 0.32 to 4.65; 59 participants). Mortality rates in the studies were low, and there was insufficient evidence to draw conclusions on the effect of milrinone compared to placebo or levosimendan or dobutamine regarding mortality, the duration of intensive care stay, hospital stay, mechanical ventilation, or maximum inotrope score (where available). Numbers of patients requiring mechanical cardiac support were also low and did not allow a comparison between studies, and none of the participants of any study received a heart transplantation up to the end of the respective follow-up period. Time to death within three months was not reported in any of the included studies. A number of adverse events was examined, but differences between the treatment groups could not be proven for hypotension, intraventricular haemorrhage, hypokalaemia, bronchospasm, elevated serum levels of liver enzymes, or a reduced left ventricular ejection fraction < 50% or reduced left ventricular fraction of shortening < 28%. Our analysis did not prove an increased risk of arrhythmias in patients treated prophylactically with milrinone compared with placebo (RR 3.59, 95% CI 0.83 to 15.42; 238 participants), a decreased risk of pleural effusions (RR 1.78, 95% CI 0.92 to 3.42; 231 participants), or a difference in risk of thrombocytopenia on milrinone compared with placebo (RR 0.86, 95% CI 0.39 to 1.88; 238 participants). Comparisons of milrinone with levosimendan or with dobutamine, respectively, did not clarify the risk of arrhythmia and were not possible for pleural effusions or thrombocytopenia.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
There is insufficient evidence of the effectiveness of prophylactic milrinone in preventing death or low cardiac output syndrome in children undergoing surgery for congenital heart disease, compared to placebo. So far, no differences have been shown between milrinone and other inodilators, such as levosimendan or dobutamine, in the immediate postoperative period, in reducing the risk of LCOS or death. The existing data on the prophylactic use of milrinone has to be viewed cautiously due to the small number of small trials and their risk of bias.
Topics: Cardiac Output, Low; Cardiotonic Agents; Dobutamine; Heart Defects, Congenital; Humans; Hydrazones; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Milrinone; Postoperative Complications; Pyridazines; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Simendan; Syndrome; Time Factors
PubMed: 25806562
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD009515.pub2 -
European Journal of Heart Failure Dec 2014Cardiac function should be assessed during stress in patients with suspected heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF), but it is unclear how to define... (Review)
Review
AIMS
Cardiac function should be assessed during stress in patients with suspected heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF), but it is unclear how to define impaired diastolic reserve.
METHODS AND RESULTS
We conducted a systematic review to identify which pathophysiological changes serve as appropriate targets for diagnostic imaging. We identified 38 studies of 1111 patients with HFPEF (mean age 65 years), 744 control patients without HFPEF, and 458 healthy subjects. Qualifying EF was >45-55%; diastolic dysfunction at rest was a required criterion in 45% of studies. The initial workload during bicycle exercise (25 studies) varied from 12.5 to 30 W (mean 23.1 ± 4.6), with increments of 10-25 W (mean 19.9 ± 6) and stage duration 1-5 min (mean 2.5 ± 1); targets were submaximal (n = 8) or maximal (n = 17). Other protocols used treadmill exercise, handgrip, dobutamine, lower body negative pressure, nitroprusside, fluid challenge, leg raising, or atrial pacing. Reproducibility of echocardiographic variables during stress and validation against independent reference criteria were assessed in few studies. Change in E/e' was the most frequent measurement, but there is insufficient evidence to establish this or other tests for routine use when evaluating patients with HFPEF.
CONCLUSIONS
To meet the clinical requirements of performing stress testing in elderly subjects, we propose a ramped exercise protocol on a semi-supine bicycle, starting at 15 W, with increments of 5 W/min to a submaximal target (heart rate 100-110 b.p.m., or symptoms). Measurements during submaximal and recovery stages should include changes from baseline in LV long-axis function and indirect echocardiographic indices of LV diastolic pressure.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Clinical Protocols; Diastole; Exercise Test; Heart Failure; Humans; Stroke Volume; Ultrasonography; Ventricular Function, Left
PubMed: 25393338
DOI: 10.1002/ejhf.184 -
International Journal of Cardiology.... Sep 2014
PubMed: 29450191
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijchv.2014.07.005