Exception Status Listing in the New Adult Heart Allocation System: A New Solution to an Old Problem?

Background: One of the goals of the revised 6-tiered US adult heart allocation policy was to improve risk stratification of patients to lower exception status utilization for transplant listing. We sought to define the characteristics and outcomes of waitlisted patients using exception status and to examine region- and center-level differences in utilization of exception status in the new heart allocation system. Methods: This retrospective cohort analysis of the United Network for Organ Sharing database included adult waitlisted patients for heart transplant between October 18, 2018, and June 30, 2020, in the United States, stratified by use of exception status versus standard criteria. Results: Out of 6351 patients, 1907 (30.0%) were waitlisted under exception status. Patients using exception status were more likely to have a nonischemic cause of heart failure, blood type O, United Network for Organ Sharing status 2 at listing and were less likely to have a durable left ventricular assist device at listing. Exception status utilization varied significantly between and within United Network for Organ Sharing regions. Listing by exception criteria was associated with a significantly higher incidence of heart transplantation compared with listing by standard criteria (hazard ratio, 1.25 [1.15–1.38], P <0.001), without increased risk of death or delisting for worsening clinical status (hazard ratio, 0.83 [0.65–1.05], P =0.12) after multivariable adjustment. Conclusions: The status tiers of the new heart allocation system may not fully capture medical urgency and complexity of waitlisted patients as assessed by transplant physicians and review committees and may limit the ability to develop a heart allocation score.

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Cognitive Impairment after Lacunar Stroke and the Risk of Recurrent Stroke and Death

Cerebrovascular Diseases ◽

10.1159/000514261 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Abraham Kwan ◽

Jingkai Wei ◽

N. Maritza Dowling ◽

Melinda C. Power ◽

Zurab Nadareshvili ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Memory Impairment ◽

Recurrent Stroke ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Hazard Ratio ◽

Cognitive Screening ◽

Lacunar Stroke ◽

Domain Specific ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

Increased Risk

Introduction: Patients with poststroke cognitive impairment appear to be at higher risk of recurrent stroke and death. However, whether cognitive impairment after lacunar stroke is associated with recurrent stroke and death remains unclear. We assessed whether global or domain-specific cognitive impairment after lacunar stroke is associated with recurrent stroke and death. Methods: We considered patients from the Secondary Prevention of Small Subcortical Strokes (SPS3) trial with a baseline cognitive exam administered in English by certified SPS3 personnel, 14–180 days after qualifying lacunar stroke. We considered a baseline score of ≤86 on the Cognitive Assessment Screening Instrument to indicate global cognitive impairment, <10 on the Clock Drawing on Command test to indicate executive function impairment, and domain-specific summary scores in the lowest quartile to indicate memory and nonmemory impairment. We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate the association between poststroke cognitive impairment and subsequent risk of recurrent stroke and death. Results: The study included 1,528 participants with a median enrollment time of 62 days after qualifying stroke. During a mean follow-up of 3.9 years, 11.4% of participants had recurrent stroke and 8.2% died. In the fully adjusted models, memory impairment was independently associated with an increased risk of recurrent stroke (hazard ratio, 1.48; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.04–2.09) and death (hazard ratio, 1.87; 95% CI: 1.25–2.79). Global impairment (hazard ratio, 1.66; 95% CI: 1.06–2.59) and nonmemory impairment (hazard ratio, 1.74; 95% CI: 1.14–2.67) were associated with an increased risk of death. Discussion/Conclusion: After lacunar stroke, memory impairment was an independent predictor of recurrent stroke and death, while global and nonmemory impairment were associated with death. Cognitive screening in lacunar stroke may help identify populations at higher risk of recurrent stroke and death.

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Older Adults in the United States and COVID-19: A Qualitative Study of Perceptions, Finances, Coping, and Emotions

Frontiers in Public Health ◽

10.3389/fpubh.2021.660536 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

R. Turner Goins ◽

Elizabeth Anderson ◽

Hannah Minick ◽

Heather Daniels

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

United States ◽

Older Adults ◽

News Media ◽

Emotional Health ◽

The United States ◽

Stress Appraisal ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Precautionary Measures

Introduction: Older adults have the poorest coronavirus (COVID-19) prognosis with the highest risk of death due to complications, making their COVID-19 experiences particularly important. Guided by the stress-appraisal-coping theoretical model, we sought to understand COVID-related perceptions and behaviors of older adults residing in the United States.Materials and Methods: We used convenience sampling to recruit persons with the following inclusion criteria: Aged ≥ 65 years, English fluency, and U.S. residency. Semi structured in-depth interviews were conducted remotely and audio recorded between April 25, 2020 and May 7, 2020. Interviews were professionally transcribed with a final study sample of 43. A low-inference qualitative descriptive design was used to provide a situated understanding of participants' life experiences using their naturalistic expressions.Results: The mean age of participants was 72.4 ± 6.7. Slightly over half were female (55.8%), 90.6% were White, and 18.6% lived alone. The largest percentages of participants resided in a rural area (27.9%) or small city (25.6%). We identified four themes, including (1) risk perception, (2) financial impact, (3) coping, and (4) emotions. Most participants were aware of their greater risk for poor COVID-19 outcomes but many did not believe in their increased risk. Financial circumstances because of the pandemic varied with largely no financial impacts, while others reported negative impacts and a few reported positive impacts. Coping was problem- and emotion-focused. Problem-focused coping included precautionary efforts and emotion-focused coping included creating daily structure, pursuing new and/or creative activities, connecting with others in new ways, and minimizing news media exposure. Overall, emotional health was negatively affected by the pandemic although some participants reported positive emotional experiences.Conclusions: Perceiving themselves as high risk for COVID-19 complications, older adults used precautionary measures to protect themselves from contracting the virus. The precautionary measures included social isolation, which can negatively affect mental health. Older adults will need to be resourceful and draw on existing resources to cope, such as engaging in creative activities and new strategies to connect with others. Our findings underscore the importance of the preservation of mental health during extended periods of isolation by taking advantage of low-to-no-cost existing resources.

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Impact of Obesity on Heart Transplantation Outcomes

Journal of the American Heart Association ◽

10.1161/jaha.121.021346 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (23) ◽

Author(s):

Fouad Chouairi ◽

Aidan Milner ◽

Sounok Sen ◽

Avirup Guha ◽

James Stewart ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Transplantation ◽

Organ Procurement ◽

Left Ventricular ◽

Ventricular Assist Devices ◽

Left Ventricular Assist Devices ◽

Ventricular Assist ◽

Allocation System ◽

Increased Risk ◽

The Impact ◽

Transplantation Outcomes

Background Patients with obesity and advanced heart failure face unique challenges on the path to heart transplantation. There are limited data on waitlist and transplantation outcomes in this population. We aimed to evaluate the impact of obesity on heart transplantation outcomes, and to investigate the effects of the new organ procurement and transplantation network allocation system in this population. Methods and Results This cohort study of adult patients listed for heart transplant used the United Network for Organ Sharing database from January 2006 to June 2020. Patients were stratified by body mass index (BMI) (18.5–24.9, 25–29.9, 30–34.9, 35–39.9, and 40–55 kg/m 2 ). Recipient characteristics and donor characteristics were analyzed. Outcomes analyzed included transplantation, waitlist death, and posttransplant death. BMI 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m 2 was used as the reference compared with progressive BMI categories. There were 46 645 patients listed for transplantation. Patients in higher BMI categories were less likely to be transplanted. The lowest likelihood of transplantation was in the highest BMI category, 40 to 55 kg/m 2 (hazard ratio [HR], 0.19 [0.05–0.76]; P =0.02). Patients within the 2 highest BMI categories had higher risk of posttransplantation death (HR, 1.29; P <0.001 and HR, 1.65; P <0.001, respectively). Left ventricular assist devices among patients in obese BMI categories decreased after the allocation system change ( P <0.001, all). After the change, patients with obesity were more likely to undergo transplantation (BMI 30–35 kg/m 2 : HR, 1.31 [1.18–1.46], P <0.001; BMI 35–55 kg/m 2 : HR, 1.29 [1.06–1.58]; P =0.01). Conclusions There was an inverse relationship between BMI and likelihood of heart transplantation. Higher BMI was associated with increased risk of posttransplant mortality. Patients with obesity were more likely to undergo transplantation under the revised allocation system.

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Concomitant Use of Gabapentinoids with Opioids Is Associated with Increased Mortality and Morbidity among Dialysis Patients

American Journal of Nephrology ◽

10.1159/000507725 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 51 (6) ◽

pp. 424-432 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Salina P. Waddy ◽

Adan Z. Becerra ◽

Julia B. Ward ◽

Kevin E. Chan ◽

Chyng-Wen Fwu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

The United States ◽

Future Research ◽

Dialysis Patients ◽

Mortality And Morbidity ◽

Medication Prescription ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Stage Renal Disease ◽

End Stage ◽

Dialysis Discontinuation

Background: The opioid epidemic is a public health emergency and appropriate medication prescription for pain remains challenging. Physicians have increasingly prescribed gabapentinoids for pain despite limited evidence supporting their use. We determined the prevalence of concomitant gabapentinoid and opioid prescriptions and evaluated their associations with outcomes among dialysis patients. Methods: We used the United States Renal Data System to identify patients treated with dialysis with Part A, B, and D coverage for all of 2010. Patients were grouped into 4 categories of drugs exposure status in 2010: (1) no prescriptions of either an opioid or gabapentinoid, (2) ≥1 prescription of an opioid and no prescriptions of gabapentinoids, (3) no prescriptions of an opioid and ≥1 prescription of gabapenbtinoids, (4) ≥1 prescription of both an opioid and gabapentinoid. Outcomes included 2-year all-cause death, dialysis discontinuation, and hospitalizations assessed in 2011 and 2012. Results: The study population included 153,758 dialysis patients. Concomitant prescription of an opioid and gabapentin (15%) was more common than concomitant prescription of an opioid and pregabalin (4%). In adjusted analyses, concomitant prescription of an opioid and gabapentin compared to no prescription of either was associated with increased risk of death (hazard ratio [HR] 1.16, 95% CI 1.12–1.19), dialysis discontinuation (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.03–1.27), and hospitalization (HR 1.33, 95% CI 1.31–1.36). Concomitant prescription of an opioid and pregabalin compared to no prescription of either was associated with increased mortality (HR 1.22, 95% CI 1.16–1.28) and hospitalization (HR 1.37, 95% CI 1.33–1.41), but not dialysis discontinuation (HR 1.13, 95% CI 0.95–1.35). Prescription of opioids and gabepentinoids compared to only being prescribed opioids was associated with higher risk of hospitalizations, but not mortality, or dialysis discontinuation. Conclusions: Concomitant prescription of opioids and gabapentinoids among US dialysis patients is common, and both drugs have independent effects on outcomes. Future research should prospectively investigate the potential harms of such drugs and identify safer alternatives for treatment of pain in end-stage renal disease patients.

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370. Comparing Trends and Outcomes among HIV-Infected vs. HIV Uninfected Patients with Tuberculosis: A 5-Year Experience Within the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County

Open Forum Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/ofid/ofz360.443 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. S194-S194

Author(s):

Shylah M Moore-Pardo ◽

Anteneh Addisu ◽

Tea Reljic ◽

Sadaf Aslam ◽

Beata Casanas

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

The United States ◽

Homeless Persons ◽

Sputum Smear ◽

Foreign Born ◽

Female Ratio ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

Increased Risk ◽

The Difference ◽

Hiv Negative

Abstract Background Although the rate of tuberculosis (TB) has significantly declined in the United States, elimination has plateaued. Florida is one of the states with the greatest number of cases. The majority of cases occur in foreign-born individuals. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is also a major contributor. HIV-TB coinfection leads to reciprocal interactions with significant clinical impact. We aim to compare the risk factors, clinical findings, and outcomes among HIV-infected vs. HIV uninfected patients. Methods A retrospective cohort study of TB cases over a 5 year period (2012–2017) was conducted. All patients with HIV co-infection with age- and gender-matched HIV negative controls were included. The diagnosis of TB was made via clinical, microbiological, radiological, and/or PCR based methods. SPSS was used for statistical data analysis. Results A total of 411 TB cases were identified and 66 patients (33 HIV-infected plus 33 HIV un-infected) were eligible for inclusion. The median age was 49 years (range 22–70). The male to female ratio was 21:12 and 50% of patients had TB symptoms; the rest had abnormal imaging or lab finding. Cases were confirmed via positive sputum smear, culture, or PCR (Figures 1–3). Only 11 patients were lost to follow-up, thus 83.3% completed therapy. A total of 5 persons died (Table 1). Conclusion The rate of HIV-TB coinfection in the United States was 5.3% in 2018; higher among injection drugs users, homeless persons, inmates, and alcoholics. In our study, the rate of HIV-TB coinfection was slightly higher (8%). The difference was not statistically significant in regards to foreign born, homelessness, and incarceration. Only 3 patients admitted to injection drug use and 9 used alcohol (all HIV negative). Traditionally, HIV-TB coinfected patients have extra-pulmonary TB with higher rates of negative sputum and are at increased risk of death. In our cohort, the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.009) only for cavitary TB (predominated in HIV un-infected) but no difference in outcomes was observed between the two groups. These findings suggest changing trends in HIV-TB coinfection which may be partly related to our setting and demographics but may be attributed to better access to care and antiretroviral therapy at large. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

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Virulence of Marburg Virus Angola Compared to Mt. Elgon (Musoke) in Macaques: A Pooled Survival Analysis

Viruses ◽

10.3390/v10110658 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 658 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Paul Blair ◽

Maryam Keshtkar-Jahromi ◽

Kevin Psoter ◽

Ronald Reisler ◽

Travis Warren ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Proportional Hazards ◽

Clinical Laboratory ◽

Cynomolgus Macaque ◽

The United States ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Marburg Virus ◽

Time To Death ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

Published Evidence ◽

Increased Risk

Angola variant (MARV/Ang) has replaced Mt. Elgon variant Musoke isolate (MARV/MtE-Mus) as the consensus standard variant for Marburg virus research and is regarded as causing a more aggressive phenotype of disease in animal models; however, there is a dearth of published evidence supporting the higher virulence of MARV/Ang. In this retrospective study, we used data pooled from eight separate studies in nonhuman primates experimentally exposed with either 1000 pfu intramuscular (IM) MARV/Ang or MARV/MtE-Mus between 2012 and 2017 at the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID). Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate the association of variant type with time to death, the development of anorexia, rash, viremia, and 10 select clinical laboratory values. A total of 47 cynomolgus monkeys were included, of which 18 were exposed to MARV/Ang in three separate studies and 29 to MARV/MtE-Mus in five studies. Following universally fatal Marburg virus exposure, compared to MARV/MtE-Mus, MARV/Ang was associated with an increased risk of death (HR = 22.10; 95% CI: 7.08, 68.93), rash (HR = 5.87; 95% CI: 2.76, 12.51) and loss of appetite (HR = 35.10; 95% CI: 7.60, 162.18). Our data demonstrate an increased virulence of MARV/Ang compared to MARV/MtE-Mus variant in the 1000 pfu IM cynomolgus macaque model.

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Atrial functional mitral regurgitation: mechanisms and surgical implications

Asian Cardiovascular and Thoracic Annals ◽

10.1177/0218492320941388 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 28 (7) ◽

pp. 421-426

Author(s):

Yiting Fan ◽

Song Wan ◽

Randolph Hung-Leung Wong ◽

Alex Pui-Wai Lee

Keyword(s):

Mitral Regurgitation ◽

Left Ventricular ◽

Ventricular Dilatation ◽

Functional Mitral Regurgitation ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Disease Entity ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

Left Ventricular Dilatation ◽

Annular Dilatation ◽

Increased Risk

The term atrial functional mitral regurgitation refers to a newly recognized disease entity in which mitral regurgitation occurs secondary to left atrial disease, without left ventricular dilatation and intrinsic mitral valve disease, typically in the setting of long-standing atrial fibrillation. Recent evidence suggests that atrial functional mitral regurgitation is associated with increased risk of death and heart failure re-hospitalization. The etiology, pathophysiology, and mechanism of atrial functional mitral regurgitation is not completely understood but they should not be regarded as the same as for the conventional type of functional mitral regurgitation secondary to left ventricular dilatation and dysfunction. Mitral annular dilatation, atriogenic leaflet distortion, insufficient leaflet remodeling, and subtle left ventricular dysfunction may play a role in the pathogenesis of atrial functional mitral regurgitation. The therapeutic and surgical considerations of atrial functional mitral regurgitation are different from those of ventricular functional mitral regurgitation. In this review, we assess current evidence regarding this new disease entity and propose a new surgical approach based on up-to-date understanding and experience of this condition.

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Incidence and predictors of venous thromboembolism in post-acute care patients

Thrombosis and Haemostasis ◽

10.1160/th10-03-0169 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 104 (10) ◽

pp. 734-740 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Walter Ageno ◽

Andrea Airoldi ◽

Erminio Bonizzoni ◽

Mauro Campanini ◽

Gualberto Gussoni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Venous Thromboembolism ◽

Confidence Interval ◽

Multivariable Analysis ◽

Hazard Ratio ◽

Term Care ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Rehabilitation Facilities ◽

Overall Mortality

SummaryFew studies have addressed the topic of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients hospitalised in rehabilitation facilities. This patient population is rapidly growing, and data aimed to better define VTE risk in this setting are needed. Primary aim of this prospective observational study was to evaluate the frequency of symptomatic, objectively confirmed VTE in a cohort of unselected consecutive patients admitted to rehabilitation facilities, after medical diseases or surgery. Further objectives were to assess overall mortality, to identify risk factors for VTE and mortality, and to assess the attitude of physicians towards thromboprophylaxis. A total of 3,039 patients were included in the study, and the median duration of hospitalisation was 26 days. Seventy-two patients (2.4%) had symptomatic VTE. The median time to VTE from admission to the long-term care unit was 13 days. According to multivariable analysis, previous VTE (hazard ratio 5.67, 95% confidence interval 3.30–9.77) and cancer (hazard ratio 2.26, 95% confidence interval 1.36–3.75) were significantly associated to the occurrence of VTE. Overall in-hospital mortality was 15.1%. Age over 75 years, male gender, disability, cancer, and the absence of thromboprophylaxis were significantly associated to an increased risk of death (multivariable analysis). In-hospital antithrombotic prophylaxis was administered to 75.1% of patients, and low-molecular-weight heparin was the most widely used agent. According to our study, patients admitted to rehabilitation facilities remain at substantially increased risk for VTE. Because this applies to the majority of these patients, there is a great need for clinical trials assessing optimal prophylactic strategies.

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HSR19-088: Severe Obesity Does Not Worsen Transplantation Outcome in Multiple Myeloma

Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network ◽

10.6004/jnccn.2018.7243 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 17 (3.5) ◽

pp. HSR19-088

Author(s):

Zhubin J. Gahvari ◽

Michael Lasarev ◽

Jens C. Eickhoff ◽

Aric C. Hall ◽

Peiman Hematti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Myeloma ◽

Linear Models ◽

Severe Obesity ◽

Health Hazard ◽

The United States ◽

Hospital Length Of Stay ◽

Nccn Guidelines ◽

Post Transplant ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

Increased Risk

Background: Obesity, and in particular severe obesity, is increasingly prevalent in the United States. Epidemiological studies have shown an association in multiple myeloma (MM) between obesity and mortality (Teras et al, Br J Haematol 2014). Autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (autoPBSCT) remains a crucial aspect of treating MM, and the NCCN Guidelines recommend all eligible patients be evaluated for transplant. There is limited data analyzing the relationship between severe obesity and transplant outcomes in MM patients in the era of modern therapy, routine post-transplant maintenance, and genetic-based risk stratification. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed consecutive patients undergoing autoPBSCT for MM at our institution from 2010–2017. Patients were categorized by body mass index (BMI) and Revised International Staging System (R-ISS) score. Patients were followed from time of first transplant until death. Surviving patients and those lost to follow-up were censored at last point of contact. Cox proportional hazard regression models and associated log-rank tests were used to assess whether age, BMI, lag time between diagnosis and transplant, and R-ISS score were associated with risk of death. Post-transplant hospital length of stay (LOS) was evaluated using generalized linear models with response following a gamma distribution. Results: 314 patients (59.2% male) were included. BMI was categorized as nonobese ([16, 30) kg/m2; n=178, 56.7%), obese ([30, 35) kg/m2; n=72, 22.9%) or severely obese ([35, 55) kg/m2; n=64, 20.4%) and was not found to be associated with risk of death following transplant, either independently (P=.17) or when adjusting for age, sex, lag, and R-ISS (P=.26). As expected, R-ISS score was associated (P=.006) with risk of death after transplant. No association was found between mean LOS and BMI (P=.875). Kaplan-Meier mortality estimates are shown in Figure 1. Conclusions: Obesity and severe obesity were not associated with an increased risk of mortality for MM patients receiving autoPBSCT. Although severe obesity is a health hazard, this should not be used to exclude patients from transplant.

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Pericardial Effusion Is a Marker of Increased Mortality in Thalassemia Major Patients

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v124.21.2689.2689 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 124 (21) ◽

pp. 2689-2689

Author(s):

Antonella Meloni ◽

Patrizia Toia ◽

Leonardo Sardella ◽

Giuseppe Serra ◽

Roberta Chiari ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Resonance ◽

Pericardial Effusion ◽

Iron Overload ◽

Thalassemia Major ◽

Left Ventricular ◽

Myocardial Iron ◽

Cine Ssfp ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Increased Risk

Abstract Introduction. In different types of not-hematological diseases the presence of a small pericardial effusion (PE) was associated with worse survival even after adjustment for patient characteristics, suggesting that it is a marker of underlying disease.In thalassemia major (TM) pericardial effusion was shown to be one of the manifestations of heart disease but its potential prognostic importance has never been investigated in the modern era. Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) by cine SSFP sequences was demonstrated to be extremely sensitive to even a small amount of PE. This is the first prospective study evaluating if the presence of pericardial effusion is associated with increased mortality in TM. Methods. 1259 patients (648 females, mean age 31.02 ± 8.64 years) enrolled in the Myocardial Iron Overload in Thalassemia (MIOT) were prospectively followed from their first Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan. CMR was used to quantify myocardial iron (MIO) overload by a multislice multiecho T2* approach and to assess biventricular function parameters and to detect PE by cine SSFP sequences. Results. PE was present in 25 (2.0%) patients.Patients with and without PE were comparable for age and ratio of men/women. At the baseline, the percentage of patients with MIO (global heart T2* value < 20 ms) was comparable between patients with and without PE (12.0 % vs 28.7%; P=0.074) and left ventricular and right ventricular ejection fractions were not significantly different between the two groups. Mean follow-up (FU) time was 44.55 ± 20.35 months and there were 15 deaths. Mortality was greater for patients with PE compared to those without an effusion (8.0% vs 1.1%, P=0.034). PE was a significant predictive factor for death (hazard ratio-HR=12.64, 95%CI=2.78-57.42, P=0.001). PE remained a significant prognosticator for death also in a multivariate model including MIO ms (PE: HR=17.36, 95%CI=3.65-82.62, P<0.0001and global heart T2* < 20 ms: HR=3.07, 95%CI=1.07-8.75, P=0.036). Conclusions. PE is quite rare in TM patients and it is not related to myocardial iron overload. An important role in the development of PE could be played by the 'iron-induced' pericardial siderosis but, due to the limitations of the current non-invasive CMR techniques, we were not able to address this issue. PE was found to be a strong predictor for death, independently by the presence of myocardial iron overload. The non-invasive diagnosis of pericardial effusion is important for a more complete definition of the cardiac involvement of TM patients. The increased risk of death associated with PE may be used along with other clinical characteristics when estimating a patient's prognosis and monitoring. Disclosures Pepe: Chiesi: Speakers Bureau; ApoPharma Inc.: Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Speakers Bureau.

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