2011 April 14

Clinical Outcome in Patients With Paroxysmal or Persistent Atrial Fibrillation Receiving Bepridil.

Apr 142011

Clinical Outcome in Patients With Paroxysmal or Persistent Atrial Fibrillation Receiving Bepridil.

Circ J. 2011 Apr 12;

Authors: Shiga T, Suzuki A, Naganuma M, Hosaka F, Shoda M, Hagiwara N

Background:?It is unknown whether bepridil improves cardiovascular events in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients, so this study evaluated the clinical outcome in paroxysmal or persistent AF patients receiving bepridil. Methods and Results:?We conducted a cohort study of 284 consecutive patients who received bepridil for AF (25% female, 5913 years) with a median follow-up period of 17 months (4-157 months). A total of 135 (48%) patients had structural heart disease, and 231 patients (81%) had previously received class I or class III antiarrhythmic drugs. The cumulative rates for cardiovascular events were 2.4%, 8.1%, and 10.1% at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. The cumulative rates for a composite of mortality, cerebral infarction, systemic embolism, major bleeding and heart failure were 9.7%, 18.2%, and 29.6% at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. The probability of progression to permanent AF was 23.5% at 5 years. Sudden death occurred in a patient with a prior myocardial infarction who was taking 200mg daily, and torsade de pointes (Tdp) occurred in two patients without structural heart disease taking 200mg daily. Excessive corrected QT interval prolongation (>0.50s) was observed when plasma concentrations were higher than 800ng/ml. Conclusions:?Bepridil might not improve the clinical outcome in refractory AF patients. Bepridil-related adverse events, including QT prolongation and Tdp, occurred in a dose- and concentration-dependent manner.

PMID: 21483159 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Link to Article at PubMed

Elevated B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Is Associated With Increased In-Hospital Mortality or Cardiac Arrest in Patients Undergoing Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Implantation.

Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes Start a Discussion »

Apr 142011

Elevated B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Is Associated With Increased In-Hospital Mortality or Cardiac Arrest in Patients Undergoing Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Implantation.

Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes. 2011 Apr 12;

Authors: Wei S, Loyo-Berríos NI, Haigney MC, Cheng H, Pinnow EE, Mitchell KR, Beachy JH, Woodward AM, Wang Y, Curtis JP, Marinac-Dabic D

Background The implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is the most effective treatment for preventing arrhythmic deaths in patients with heart failure, but periprocedural complications, including in-hospital mortality or cardiac arrest, may occur, and little is known about risk factors. We asked whether elevated B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) level is associated with increased risk of in-hospital mortality or cardiac arrest in patients undergoing ICD implantation. Methods and Results From the National Cardiovascular Data Registry ICD Registry, we identified 53 198 patients who received ICD implants and underwent preoperative BNP measurement from 2006 to 2008. The patients were categorized into 4 groups by BNP levels (<100, 100 to <300, 300 to <1000, and ?1000 pg/mL). Complication rates were compared among groups, and odds ratios for in-hospital mortality or cardiac arrest were estimated by multiple hierarchical logistic regressions. There were 2952 complications reported, including 510 in-hospital deaths and 365 cardiac arrests. The rate of in-hospital mortality or cardiac arrest significantly increased with elevated BNP level (P<0.001). The adjusted odds ratios of in-hospital mortality or cardiac arrest were statistically significant in all 3 higher BNP groups [odds ratio (95% CI), 1.99 (1.17 to 3.39), 2.49 (1.50 to 4.13), and 4.25 (2.57 to 7.06) in the second, third, and fourth groups using <100 as reference]. Among subgroups, the association was more significant in men, patients with renal dysfunction, and patients undergoing biventricular ICD implantation. Conclusions Elevated BNP level was significantly associated with increased risk of in-hospital mortality or cardiac arrest in patients undergoing ICD implant. Strategies aimed at reducing preprocedural BNP or creating systems to manage procedural risk merit further investigation.

PMID: 21487093 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Link to Article at PubMed

Does user-centred design affect the efficiency, usability and safety of CPOE order sets?

J Am Med Inform Assoc Start a Discussion »

Apr 142011

Does user-centred design affect the efficiency, usability and safety of CPOE order sets?

J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2011 May 1;18(3):276-81

Authors: Chan J, Shojania KG, Easty AC, Etchells EE

Background Application of user-centred design principles to Computerized provider order entry (CPOE) systems may improve task efficiency, usability or safety, but there is limited evaluative research of its impact on CPOE systems. Objective We evaluated the task efficiency, usability, and safety of three order set formats: our hospital's planned CPOE order sets (CPOE Test), computer order sets based on user-centred design principles (User Centred Design), and existing pre-printed paper order sets (Paper). Participants 27staff physicians, residents and medical students. Setting Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, an academic hospital in Toronto, Canada. Methods Participants completed four simulated order set tasks with three order set formats (two CPOE Test tasks, one User Centred Design, and one Paper). Order of presentation of order set formats and tasks was randomized. Users received individual training for the CPOE Test format only. Main Measures Completion time (efficiency), requests for assistance (usability), and errors in the submitted orders (safety). Results 27 study participants completed 108 order sets. Mean task times were: User Centred Design format 273&emsp14;s, Paper format 293&emsp14;s (p=0.73 compared to UCD format), and CPOE Test format 637&emsp14;s (p<0.0001 compared to UCD format). Users requested assistance in 31% of the CPOE Test format tasks, whereas no assistance was needed for the other formats (p<0.01). There were no significant differences in number of errors between formats. Conclusions The User Centred Design format was more efficient and usable than the CPOE Test format even though training was provided for the latter. We conclude that application of user-centred design principles can enhance task efficiency and usability, increasing the likelihood of successful implementation.

PMID: 21486886 [PubMed - in process]

Link to Article at PubMed

Emergency Department Management of Patients on Warfarin Therapy.

Ann Emerg Med Start a Discussion »

Apr 142011

Emergency Department Management of Patients on Warfarin Therapy.

Ann Emerg Med. 2011 Apr 7;

Authors: Meeker E, Dennehy CE, Weber EJ, Kayser SR

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To characterize warfarin management in the emergency department (ED). METHODS: This was a retrospective, cross-sectional, observational study of patients who were receiving warfarin and were discharged from a tertiary care, academic urban ED between June and August 2007. We abstracted patient demographics, presenting complaint, international normalized ratio (INR) if tested, indication for warfarin if documented, new medications administered or prescribed in the ED, and discharge instructions. Presenting complaints were categorized according to whether they were warfarin-related and concerning for thrombosis or bleeding. The primary outcome measure was the prevalence of warfarin therapy. The secondary outcome measures were frequency with which ED providers obtained an INR result, response to nontherapeutic results, administration or prescription of interacting medications, and percentage of patients receiving recommendations for anticoagulation follow-up. RESULTS: Two percent (111/7,195) of all patients presenting to and discharged from the ED during the study period were found to be receiving warfarin. Seventy-one percent (79/111) had an INR checked. Nontherapeutic INRs were recorded for 49% (39/79) of patients; ED providers intervened to address these results in 21% (8/39) of cases. Seventy-one percent (5/7) of patients with a supratherapeutic INR received an intervention compared with 9% (3/32) of patients with a subtherapeutic INR. Seventeen percent (19/111) and 13% (14/111) of patients received or were prescribed potentially interacting medications, respectively. Recommendations for specific anticoagulation follow-up were documented for 19% (21/111) of all patients. CONCLUSION: Patients receiving warfarin frequently present to the ED and often have nontherapeutic INRs. Potential areas for improvement in ED management include greater attention to subtherapeutic INRs, interacting medications, and discharge planning.

PMID: 21481971 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Link to Article at PubMed

April 2011
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