scholarly journals 605 Assessment of intracardiac flow dynamics for the evaluation of patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (Supplement_G) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Ielapi ◽  
Antonio Curcio ◽  
Giovanna Marrelli ◽  
Antonio Strangio ◽  
Isabella Leo ◽  
...  

Abstract Aims Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is an established treatment for patients with heart failure (HF), reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (EF ≤ 35%) and high-grade intraventricular conduction delays. CRT improves cardiac function, symptoms and well-being, and reduces morbidity and mortality in this setting. However, there are patients unresponsive to CRT. Responders show reverse ventricular remodelling, volumes and diameters reduction, and EF improvement. Noninvasive cardiovascular imaging for visualization and quantitation of intracardiac flows and turbulences has not been assessed thoroughly in CRT. This study seeks to evaluate if the quantitative analysis of intracardiac flow dynamics in HF patients treated by CRT might provide additional information for device optimization and clinical response. Methods and results Fifteen HF patients (five females, age 69.6 ± 9.4 years, NYHA class II/III, EF 29.3 ± 4.6%) were enrolled in the study. Eleven had primitive dilated cardiomyopathy and four had post-ischaemic etiology with completed revascularization. Pacemaker-dependent cases were excluded. MyLab™ X8 platform was used for echocardiographic assessment of intracardiac flow dynamics performed on apical three chamber views. All examinations were realized in baseline (active CRT) and after 5 min of biventricular pacing switch off. The hyperDoppler software was used to assess intracardiac vortexes properties. The analyzed parameters were: vortex area, vortex length, vortex depth, and kinetic of energy dissipation (ΔKE). Categorical variables are expressed as numbers and percentages. Quantitative variables are expressed as mean and standard deviation (SD). Shapiro–Wilk test, D’Agostino Pearson test, and visual inspection of Q–Q-plots were executed to evaluate if variables were normally distributed. Quantitative variables were evaluated with paired sample T-test or Wilcoxon test when appropriate. Clinical features, biochemical parameters, electrocardiograms with and without cardiac pacing, and EF before and after CRT implantation were collected. Although no difference was observed in vortex area/depth/length, a significant increase in KE dissipation after switching OFF the CRT devices (from 1.2 ± 0.9 to 3.5 ± 2.3 J, P < 0.03) was remarkably observed. According to EF improvement after CRT, the patients were divided in responders (5% increase in EF, N = 10) and non-responders (N = 5). Moreover, by analysing the extent of QRS dispersion and the variation of KE dissipation in spontaneous rhythm and after silencing the biventricular pacing, a positive ventricular remodelling (QRS 141.3 ± 29.3 vs. 154.4 ± 24.4ms, P = 0.02; KE dissipation 0.92 ± 0.87 J in responders and 1.53 ± 1.76 J in non-responders, P = 0.006) was detected in responders. Conclusions Noninvasive intracardiac flow dynamics in HF patients represents a complementary tool to standard echocardiography, and provides additional parameters for assessing prognosis and outcomes in CRT recipients. The impact of maladaptation in intracardiac flow dynamic on progressive LV remodelling could be useful to evaluate the prognostic meaning of implanted CRT device and to predict the response to device implantation, based on cardiac flow analysis.

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiyi Liu ◽  
Fengzhi Sun ◽  
Zefeng Wang ◽  
Jiao Sun ◽  
Xue Jiang ◽  
...  

Background: Left bundle branch area pacing (LBBAP) is a recently proposed method for conduction system pacing. We performed a meta-analysis of controlled studies to compare the clinical outcome in patients who received LBBAP vs. biventricular pacing (BVP) for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).Methods: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane's Library databases were searched for relevant controlled studies. A random-effect model incorporating the potential heterogeneity was used to synthesize the results.Results: Four non-randomized controlled studies including 249 patients with heart failure (HF) for CRT were included, and the patients were followed for 6–12 months. Compared with BVP, LBBAP was associated with significantly shortened QRS duration [mean difference (MD): −29.18 ms, 95% confidence interval (CI): −33.55–24.80, I2 = 0%, P < 0.001], improved left ventricular ejection fraction (MD: 6.93%, 95% CI: 4.69–9.17, I2 = 0%, P < 0.001), reduced left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (MD: −2.96 mm, 95% CI: −5.48 to −0.44, I2 = 0%, P = 0.02), and improved New York Heart Association class (MD: −0.54, 95% CI: −0.84 to −0.24, I2 = 65%, P < 0.001). Moreover, patients who received LBBAP were more likely to achieve echocardiographic [odds ratio (OR): 5.04, 95% CI: 2.17–11.69, I2 = 0%, P < 0.001] and clinical (OR: 7.33, 95% CI: 1.62–33.16, I2 = 0%, P = 0.01) CRT responses.Conclusion: Current evidence from non-randomized studies suggests that LBBAP appears to be a promising method for CRT, which is associated with more remarkable improvements of symptoms and cardiac function in HF patients with indication for CRT.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dmytro Volkov ◽  
Dmytro Lopin ◽  
Stanislav Rybchynskyi ◽  
Dmytro Skoryi

Abstract Background  Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is an option for treatment for chronic heart failure (HF) associated with left bundle branch block (LBBB). Patients with HF and right bundle branch block (RBBB) have potentially worse outcomes in comparison to LBBB. Traditional CRT in RBBB can increase mortality and HF deterioration rates over native disease progression. His bundle pacing may improve the results of CRT in those patients. Furthermore, atrioventricular node ablation (AVNA) for rate control in atrial fibrillation (AF) can be challenging in patients with previously implanted leads in His region. Case summary  We report the case of 74-year-old gentleman with a 5-year history of HF, permanent AF with a rapid ventricular response, and RBBB. He was admitted to the hospital with complaints of severe weakness and shortness of breath. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was decreased (41%), right ventricle (RV) was dilated (41 mm), and QRS was prolonged (200 ms) with RBBB morphology. The patient underwent His-optimized CRT with further left-sided AVNA. As a result, LVEF increased to 51%, RV dimensions decreased to 35 mm with an improvement of the clinical status during a 6-month follow-up. Discussion  Patients with AF, RBBB, and HF represent the least evaluated clinical subgroup of individuals with less beneficial clinical outcomes according to CRT studies. Achieving the most effective resynchronization could require pacing fusion from sites beyond traditional with the intention to recruit intrinsic conduction pathways. This approach can be favourable for reducing RV dilatation, improving LVEF, and maximizing electrical resynchronization.


2009 ◽  
Vol 297 (1) ◽  
pp. H233-H237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maaike G. J. Gademan ◽  
Rutger J. van Bommel ◽  
C. Jan Willem Borleffs ◽  
SumChe Man ◽  
Joris C. W. Haest ◽  
...  

In a previous study we demonstrated that the institution of biventricular pacing in chronic heart failure (CHF) acutely facilitates the arterial baroreflex. The arterial baroreflex has important prognostic value in CHF. We hypothesized that the acute response in baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) after the institution of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has predictive value for midterm response. One day after implantation of a CRT device in 33 CHF patients (27 male/6 female; age, 66.5 ± 9.5 yr; left ventricular ejection fraction, 28 ± 7%) we measured noninvasive BRS and heart rate variability (HRV) in two conditions: CRT device switched on and switched off (on/off order randomized). Echocardiography was performed before implantation (baseline) and 6 mo after implantation (follow-up). CRT responders were defined as patients in whom left ventricular end-systolic volume at follow-up had decreased by ≥15%. Responders (69.7%) and nonresponders (30.3%) had similar baseline characteristics. In responders, CRT increased BRS by 30% ( P = 0.03); this differed significantly ( P = 0.02) from the average BRS change (−2%) in the nonresponders. CRT also increased HRV by 30% in responders ( P = 0.02), but there was no significant difference found compared with the increase in HRV (8%) in the nonresponders. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that the percent BRS increase had predictive value for the discrimination of responders and nonresponders (area under the curve, 0.69; 95% confidence interval, 0.51–0.87; maximal accuracy, 0.70). Our study demonstrates that a CRT-induced acute BRS increase has predictive value for the echocardiographic response to CRT. This finding suggests that the autonomic nervous system is actively involved in CRT-related reverse remodeling.


Circulation ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 132 (suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mustafa Husaini ◽  
Yitschak Biton ◽  
Scott McNitt ◽  
Wojciech Zareba ◽  
Arthur J Moss ◽  
...  

Background: The Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial with Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (MADIT-CRT) showed that patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) had similar reductions in clinical events with implanted CRT-D vs. ICD-only when compared to patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM). Frequency of revascularizations may serve as a surrogate for severity of coronary artery disease in patients with ICM and severely reduced left ventricular ejection fraction. However, it is unknown whether the number of revascularizations plays a role in clinical outcomes in ICM patients implanted with CRT-D vs. ICD-only. Methods: Using a multivariable analysis of MADIT-CRT data, we evaluated the effect of CRT-D vs. ICD-only on combined heart failure (HF) or death and combined ventricular tachycardia (VT), ventricular fibrillation (VF) or death in ICM patients by the number of pre-enrollment revascularizations (1 or ≥ 2 revascularizations) compared to those with no need for revascularization. Follow-up over a median period of 5.6 years for HF/death and 4.0 years for VT/VF/death was assessed among 1374 ICM patients with a Left Bundle Branch Block (LBBB). Results: There was a significant and similar risk reduction with CRT-D vs. ICD-only in HF/death in all three sub-groups: ICM with no need for revascularization (HR 0.45 [0.26-0.80]; p < 0.006), ICM with one revascularization (HR 0.46 [0.31-0.69]; p <0.001), and ICM with 2 or more revascularization (HR 0.50 [0.30-0.84]; p = 0.008). However, significant risk reduction of VT/VF/death with CRT-D vs. ICD-only was only observed in patients with no need for revascularization (HR 0.52 [0.30-0.89]; p = 0.017), less so in those with ICM with one revascularization (HR 0.72 [0.49-1.06]; p = 0.10), and no reduction was seen in those with ICM with 2 or more revascularization (HR 0.94 [0.54-1.62]; p = 0.81). Conclusions: In ischemic cardiomyopathy patients, CRT-D vs. ICD-only is associated with a significant risk reduction in heart failure events or death irrespective of the frequency of pre-enrollment revascularization procedures; however, the benefit of CRT-D vs. ICD-only to reduce ventricular tachyarrhythmias is attenuated with the increasing number of revascularization procedures.


Author(s):  
Marta Sitges ◽  
Genevieve Derumeaux

Cardiac imaging techniques have an important role in the follow-up of patients undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) as they provide objective evidence of changes in cardiac dimensions and function. The role of echocardiography is well established in the assessment of left ventricular reverse remodelling and the evaluation of secondary (functional) mitral regurgitation. Additionally, echocardiography might be used for optimizing the programming of atrio-ventricular (AV) and inter-ventricular (VV) delays of current CRT devices. Acute benefits from this optimization have been demonstrated, but longer follow-up studies have failed to show a clear benefit of optimized CRT on top of simultaneous biventricular pacing on the outcome of patients with CRT. This chapter reviews the role of imaging in assessing follow-up and outcome of patients undergoing CRT, as well as the rationale, the methods used, and the clinical impact of optimization of the programming of CRT devices.


EP Europace ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
R San Antonio ◽  
M Pujol-Lopez ◽  
R Jimenez-Arjona ◽  
A Doltra ◽  
F Alarcon ◽  
...  

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Cardiac Pacing Scholarship from the Spanish Society of Cardiology (SEC) Background Electrocardiogram-based optimization of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) using the fusion-optimized intervals (FOI) method has demonstrated to improve both acute hemodynamic response and left ventricle (LV) reverse remodeling compared to nominal programming of CRT. FOI optimizes the atrioventricular (AV) and ventriculo-ventricular (VV) intervals to achieve the shortest paced-QRS duration. The recent development of multipoint pacing (MPP) enables the activation of the LV from 2 locations, also shortening the QRS duration compared to conventional biventricular pacing. Purpose To determine if MPP reduces the paced-QRS duration compared to FOI optimization.  Methods This prospective clinical study included 25 consecutive patients who successfully received a CRT with MPP pacing capability. All patients were in sinus rhythm and had an PR interval below 250 ms. The QRS duration was measured with a 12-lead digital electrocardiography (screen speed of 200 mm/s) at baseline and using 3 different configurations: MPP, FOI and a combined FOI-MPP strategy. In MPP, the intervals were (based on previous studies): 1) AV 130 ms, 2) Right ventricular (RV)-LV2 (Δ1) 5 ms, and 3) LV1-LV2 (Δ2) 5 ms. In FOI, AV and VV intervals were optimized to achieve fusion between intrinsic conduction and biventricular pacing. In FOI-MPP, the Δ2 was set at 5 ms, while AV and Δ1 intervals were optimized using the FOI method. The CRT device was programmed with the configuration that achieved a greater paced-QRS shortening. After 45 days, battery life was estimated. Results   Mean age was 65 ± 10 years, 20 were men (80%) and baseline QRS duration was 177 ± 17 ms. The FOI method bested nominal MPP (QRS shortened by 58 ± 16 ms vs 43 ± 16 ms, respectively, p = 0.002). Adding MPP to the narrowest QRS by FOI did not result in further shortening (FOI: 58 ± 16 ms vs FOI-MPP: 59 ± 13 ms, p = 0.81). The final configuration was FOI method alone in most cases (n = 16, 64%) and FOI-MPP in all others (n = 9, 36%; figure). In total, 10 out of 25 patients (40%) were not candidates to MPP due to: 1) pacing thresholds exceeding 3.5 V/0.4 ms at the distal or proximal electrode (8, 32%), and 2) phrenic stimulation (2, 8%). Estimated battery longevity was longer in patients receiving FOI as compared to MPP (8.3 ± 2.1 years vs. 6.2 ± 2.2 years, p = 0.04). Conclusion In CRT, the FOI method is not improved by coupling with MPP.  Up to 40% of patients are not candidates for MPP due to high thresholds or phrenic stimulation. The use of MPP in unselected patients would result in a decrease of battery longevity, without any additional benefit over FOI. Abstract Figure.


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