Vrijraj S. Rathod

Bio: Vrijraj S. Rathod is an academic researcher from Barts Health NHS Trust. The author has contributed to research in topics: Myocardial infarction & Cardiology. The author has an hindex of 2, co-authored 4 publications receiving 55 citations. Previous affiliations of Vrijraj S. Rathod include London Chest Hospital.

Atypical risk factor profile and excellent long-term outcomes of young patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Abstract: Introduction:Several studies have examined the relationship between age and clinical outcomes in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). The majority of studies have concentrated on describing elderly patients and there has been less focus on the profile and outcome of young patients suffering from STEMI. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical profile and outcomes of young patients compared with an older cohort and to establish what risk factors were associated with young patients having PPCI for STEMI.Methods:This was an observational cohort study of 3618 patients with STEMI treated by PPCI at a regional heart attack centre in London between January 2004 and September 2012. Clinical characteristics and outcomes in (young) patients aged ≤45 years were compared with those in (older) patients aged >45 years. The primary and main secondary outcomes were all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiovascular event rates, ...

Prognostic impact of anaemia on patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction treated by primary PCI.

Abstract: AIM The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of baseline anaemia on the outcome in patients treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) for ST-elevation myocardial infarction. METHODS This study was a retrospective cohort study of 2418 patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction treated by PPCI between January 2004 and August 2010 at a single centre. We investigated the outcome in patients with anaemia compared with that in patients with a normal haemoglobin (Hb) level. Anaemia was defined according to the WHO definition as an Hb level less than 12 g/dl for female individuals and less than 13 g/dl for male individuals. We also calculated hazard ratios using a stratified model according to the Hb level. RESULTS A total of 471 (19%) patients were anaemic at presentation. The anaemic cohort was older (72.2 vs. 62.4 years, P<0.0001) and had a higher incidence of diabetes (28 vs. 16%, P<0.0001), hypertension (57 vs. 43%, P=0.01), hypercholesterolaemia (48 vs. 40%, P=0.007), previous PCI (15 vs. 9%, P<0.0001), previous myocardial infarction (23 vs. 12%, P=0.002), and cardiogenic shock (12 vs. 5%, P<0.0001). Over a mean follow-up period of 3 years there was significantly higher all-cause mortality in the anaemic group compared with the normal Hb group (20.4 vs. 13.5%, P<0.0001). However, after adjustment for all variables using multivariate analysis, anaemia (on the basis of the WHO definitions) was found not to be an independent predictor of mortality or major adverse cardiac events over the follow-up period. Further, when we used a model stratified by g/dl, we found that there was an increased risk for adverse outcomes among men with low Hb levels. There appeared to be a threshold value of Hb (13 g/dl) associated with increased risk. Although a similar trend was observed among women, no significant difference was observed. CONCLUSION Patients with anaemia undergoing PPCI are at a higher risk of an adverse outcome. Anaemia is a simple and powerful marker of poor prognosis. Although anaemia (based on the WHO definitions) does not appear to be an independent predictor of all-cause mortality or major adverse cardiac events after PPCI on multivariate analysis, there appears to be a threshold value of Hb among men, below which there is an associated increased risk for PPCI.

19 Treatment of multivessel coronary artery disease in primary PCI for ST elevation myocardial infarction: culprit only revascularisation is associated with higher mace rates

Abstract: Background Multi-vessel disease occurs in 40%–65% of patients undergoing Primary PCI for STEMI and is associated with adverse prognosis. Contemporary guidelines recommend treating the infarct related artery alone (culprit) during the urgent procedure. There is limited data comparing outcomes of complete with infarct-related artery (IRA)-only revascularisation in primary PCI for STEMI with few studies including the option of later date elective procedures for the other lesions (staged revascularisation). We therefore sought to clarify the outcome of patients with multi-vessel disease undergoing primary PCI dependent on management strategy. Methods Clinical information was analysed from a prospective data base on 2131 STEMI patients who underwent Primary PCI between January 2004 and May 2010 at a London centre. Patients with previous CABG were excluded. Information was entered at the time of procedure and outcome assessed by all-cause mortality information provided by the Office of National Statistics via the BCIS/CCAD national audit. Patients were split into three different treatment groups: culprit vessel angioplasty-only (COR group); staged revascularisation (SR group) and simultaneous treatment of non-IRA (CR group). The primary end point used was major adverse cardiac events (MACE), defined as death, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke and target vessel revascularisation (TVR). Results There were 963 (45%) consecutive patients with STEMI and multivessel CAD undergoing primary angioplasty. There were similar baseline characteristics between the 3 groups, aside from cardiogenic shock, which was significantly higher in the complete revascularisation group. See Abstract 19 table 1. At 30-days of follow-up, 23/263 (9%) patients in the CR group experienced at least one major adverse cardiac event (MACE), 1 (1%) in the SR group and 35 (5%) in the COR group, p=0.01. This trend continued up to 1-year of follow-up with the lowest rates of events in the SR group. However after 3 years MACE rates are significantly increased in the COR group (24%) but were similar in the CR (18%) and SR (17%) groups. See Abstract figure 1. MACE rates were driven mainly by death in the CR with high rates of TVR in the COR and SR groups. See Abstract figure 2. Conclusions Culprit vessel-only angioplasty was associated with the highest rate of long-term MACE compared with multivessel treatment. Patients scheduled for staged revascularisation experienced a similar rate of MACE to patients undergoing complete simultaneous treatment of non-IRA.

Atrial flutter ablation in a case of diuretic resistant constrictive pericarditis.

Abstract: We present a 66 year old gentleman with constrictive pericarditis and persistent atrial flutter. Initial management with oral loop diuretics was successful until he developed persistent atrial flutter. Once in atrial flutter the patient developed progressive signs of right heart failure resistant to high dose intravenous loop diuretics. He was referred to a tertiary electrophysiology service where he underwent successful isthmus catheter ablation and reverted to sinus rhythm. His responsiveness to diuretics improved immediately. His symptoms improved and he was discharged 48 h later on oral diuretics. He remains well one month after discharge. This is the first reported case of symptomatic improvement in a patient with constrictive pericarditis and persistent atrial flutter with targeted treatment of the dysrhythmia. This offers a possible short-term palliation option in a group of patients where definitive surgical management carries too high a risk.

General Cardiology AbstractsPredictors of major bleeding in acute coronary syndromes: the global registry of acute coronary events (GRACE)

Abstract: AIMS There have been no large observational studies attempting to identify predictors of major bleeding in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS), particularly from a multinational perspective. The objective of our study was thus to develop a prediction rule for the identification of patients with ACS at higher risk of major bleeding. METHODS AND RESULTS Data from 24045 patients from the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) were analysed. Factors associated with major bleeding were identified using logistic regression analysis. Predictive models were developed for the overall patient population and for subgroups of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and unstable angina. The overall incidence of major bleeding was 3.9% (4.8% in patients with STEMI, 4.7% in patients with NSTEMI and 2.3% in patients with unstable angina). Advanced age, female sex, history of bleeding, and renal insufficiency were independently associated with a higher risk of bleeding (P<0.01). The association remained after adjustment for hospital therapies and performance of invasive procedures. After adjustment for a variety of potential confounders, major bleeding was significantly associated with an increased risk of hospital death (adjusted odds ratio 1.64, 95% confidence interval 1.18, 2.28). CONCLUSIONS In routine clinical practice, major bleeding is a relatively frequent non-cardiac complication of contemporary therapy for ACS and it is associated with a poor hospital prognosis. Simple baseline demographic and clinical characteristics identify patients at increased risk of major bleeding.

Short-term mechanical circulatory support as a bridge to durable left ventricular assist device implantation in refractory cardiogenic shock: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract: Short-term mechanical circulatory support (MCS) is increasingly used as a bridge to decision in patients with refractory cardiogenic shock. Subsequently, these patients might be bridged to durable MCS either as a bridge to candidacy/transplantation, or as destination therapy. The aim of this study was to review support duration and clinical outcome of short-term MCS in cardiogenic shock, and to analyse application of this technology as a bridge to long-term cardiac support (left ventricular assist device, LVAD) from 2006 till June 2016. Using Cochrane Register of Trials, Embase and Medline, a systematic review was performed on patients with cardiogenic shock from acute myocardial infarction, end-stage cardiomyopathy, or acute myocarditis, receiving short-term MCS. Studies on periprocedural, post-cardiotomy and cardiopulmonary resuscitation support were excluded. Thirty-nine studies, mainly registries of heterogeneous patient populations (n = 4151 patients), were identified. Depending on the device used (intra-aortic balloon pump, TandemHeart, Impella 2.5, Impella 5.0, CentriMag and peripheral veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), mean support duration was (range) 1.6-25 days and the mean proportion of short-term MCS patients discharged was (range) 45-66%. The mean proportion of bridge to durable LVAD was (range) 3-30%. Bridge to durable LVAD was most frequently performed in patients with end-stage cardiomyopathy (22 [12-35]%). We conclude that temporary MCS can be used to bridge patients with cardiogenic shock towards durable LVAD. Clinicians are encouraged to share their results in a large multicentre registry in order to investigate optimal device selection and best duration of support.

Meta-Analysis of the Prognostic Impact of Anemia in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Abstract: Anemia is common in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and current guidelines fail to offer recommendations for its management. This review aims to examine the relation between baseline anemia and mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), and major bleeding in patients undergoing PCI. We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE for studies that evaluated mortality and adverse outcomes in anemic and nonanemic patients who underwent PCI. Data were collected on study design, participant characteristics, definition of anemia, follow-up, and adverse outcomes. Random effects meta-analysis of risk ratios was performed using inverse variance method. A total of 44 studies were included in the review with 230,795 participants. The prevalence of baseline anemia was 26,514 of 170,914 (16%). There was an elevated risk of mortality and MACE with anemia compared with no anemia-pooled risk ratio (RR) 2.39 (2.02 to 2.83), p <0.001 and RR 1.51 (1.34 to 1.71), p <0.001, respectively. The risk of myocardial infarction and bleeding with anemia compared with no anemia was elevated, pooled RR 1.33 (1.07 to 1.65), p = 0.01 and RR 1.97 (1.03 to 3.77), p <0.001, respectively. The risk of mortality per unit incremental decrease in hemoglobin (g/dl) was RR 1.19 (1.09 to 1.30), p <0.001 and the risk of mortality, MACE, and reinfarction per 1 unit incremental decrease in hematocrit (%) was RR 1.07 (1.05 to 1.10), p = 0.04, RR 1.09 (1.08 to 1.10) and RR 1.06 (1.03 to 1.10), respectively. The prevalence of anemia in contemporary cohorts of patients undergoing PCI is significant and is associated with significant increases in postprocedural mortality, MACE, reinfarction, and bleeding. The optimal strategy for the management of anemia in such patients remains uncertain.