Troponin Rise in Hospitalized Patients With Nonacute Coronary Syndrome: Retrospective Assessment of Outcomes and Predictors

ECG changes in hospitalised patients with COVID-19 infection

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) commonly involves the respiratory system but increasingly cardiovascular involvement is recognised. We assessed electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities in patients with COVID-19. We performed retrospective analysis of the hospital's COVID-19 database from April to May 2020. Any ECG abnormality was defined as: 1) new sinus bradycardia; 2) new/worsening bundle-branch block; 3) new/worsening heart block; 4) new ventricular or atrial bigeminy/trigeminy; 5) new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF)/atrial flutter or ventricular tachycardia (VT); and 6) new-onset ischaemic changes. Patients with and without any ECG change were compared. There were 455 patients included of whom 59 patients (12.8%) met criteria for any ECG abnormality. Patients were older (any ECG abnormality 77.8 ± 12 years vs. no ECG abnormality 67.4 ± 18.2 years, p<0.001) and more likely to die in-hospital (any ECG abnormality 44.1% vs. no ECG abnormality 27.8%, p=0.011). Coxproportional hazard analysis demonstrated any ECG abnormality (hazard ratio [HR] 1.97, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12 to 3.47, p=0.019), age (HR 1.03, 95%CI 1.01 to 1.05, p=0.0009), raised high sensitivity troponin I (HR 2.22, 95%CI 1.27 to 3.90, p=0.006) and low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (HR 1.73, 95%CI 1.04 to 2.88, p=0.036) were independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. In conclusion, any new ECG abnormality is a significant predictor of in-hospital mortality.

In-Hospital Management and Outcomes of Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction and Influenza

Patients with influenza infection are at increased risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). There are limited data on the short-term prognosis and management of patients with AMI and concomitant influenza. We examined the National Inpatient Sample from 2010 to 2014 for adult patients with a diagnosis of AMI. Patients were stratified into those with or without concomitant influenza. In-hospital therapies and outcomes were compared between groups in unadjusted and adjusted analyses. Standardized differences of >10% and p values <0.05 were considered significant. Propensity matching was performed using a caliper radius of 0.01*sigma. Of 4,285,641 patients with a discharge diagnosis of AMI, 12,830 had concomitant influenza. Patients with influenza were older, had a higher burden of co-morbidities, and more often presented with non-ST elevation AMI (90% vs 74%) as compared with those without influenza. Coronary angiography (23% vs 54%) and revascularization (11% vs 41%) were less often pursued in AMI patients with influenza. Patients with AMI and influenza had elevated in-hospital mortality (14%) and multiorgan failure (33%). In a propensity-matched analysis of 23,415 patients, in-hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR] 1.26; p = 0.01), acute kidney injury (OR 1.36; p <0.01), multiorgan failure (OR 1.81; p <0.01), length-of-stay, and hospital costs were significantly higher in those with influenza. In conclusion, patients with AMI and concomitant influenza have an adverse in-hospital prognosis as compared with those without influenza.

Type 2 Myocardial Infarction: JACC Review Topic of the Week

Acute myocardial infarction (MI) can occur from increased myocardial oxygen demand and/or reduced supply in the absence of acute atherothrombotic plaque disruption; a condition called type 2 myocardial infarction (T2MI). As with any MI subtype, there must be clinical evidence of myocardial ischemia to make the diagnosis. This condition is increasingly diagnosed due to the increasing sensitivity of cardiac troponin assays and is associated with adverse short-term and long-term prognoses. Limited data exist defining optimal management strategies because T2MI is a heterogeneous entity with varying etiologies and triggers. Thus, these patients require individualized care. A major barrier is the absence of a uniform definition that can be operationalized with high reproducibility. This document provides a synthesis of the data about T2MI to assist clinicians' understanding of its pathobiology, when to deploy the diagnosis, and its associated treatments. It also clarifies prognosis, identifies gaps in knowledge, and provides recommendations for moving forward.

Exploring the association between extra-cardiac troponin elevations and risk of future mortality

Although the measurement of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and T (cTnT) has now become the cornerstone for diagnosing cardiac injury, both ischemic and non-ischemic, recent evidence has become available that many patients display extra-cardiac causes of cTn elevations and carry a considerably enhanced risk of future mortality. The current literature data suggests that cTn elevations may be equally common in patients with cardiac and extra-cardiac diseases. Among the latter cohort of patients, the leading extra-cardiac diseases which may be responsible for either cTnI or cTnT elevations include infectious diseases/sepsis, pulmonary disorders, renal failure, malignancy, as well as gastrointestinal, neurological and musculoskeletal diseases. What also emerges rather clearly from the current literature data, is that the risk of dying for extra-cardiac diseases is higher (i.e., between two to three-fold) in patients with extra-cardiac cTn elevations than in those with cardiac pathologies, and that the most frequent cause of death would then be infections/sepsis, followed by malignancy, respiratory disorders, myocardial infarction, gastrointestinal and neurological diseases, heart failure, stroke, cardiac arrhythmias, renal failure, psychiatric, metabolic, urogenital and musculoskeletal disorders. These figures would lead to conclude that there is a considerable risk that the underlying pathology causing cardiac injury and cTn elevation would then become the cause of death in these patients. This important evidence shall lead the way to defining appropriate and effective strategies for managing patients with extra-cardiac cTn elevations, so that their risk of future death could be prevented or limited.

Causes of Troponin Elevation and Associated Mortality in Young Patients

BACKGROUND

While increased serum troponin levels are often due to myocardial infarction, increased levels may also be found in a variety of other clinical scenarios. Although these causes of troponin elevation have been characterized in several studies in older adults, they have not been well characterized in younger individuals.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective review of patients 50 years of age or younger who presented with elevated serum troponin levels to 2 large tertiary care centers between January 2000 and April 2016. Patients with prior known coronary artery disease were excluded. The cause of troponin elevation was adjudicated via review of electronic medical records. All-cause death was determined using the Social Security Administration's death master file.

RESULTS

Of the 6081 cases meeting inclusion criteria, 3574 (58.8%) patients had a myocardial infarction, while 2507 (41.2%) had another cause of troponin elevation. Over a median follow-up of 8.7 years, all-cause mortality was higher in patients with nonmyocardial infarction causes of troponin elevation compared with those with myocardial infarction (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.30; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15-1.46; P < .001). Specifically, mortality was higher in those with central nervous system pathologies (adjusted HR 2.21; 95% CI, 1.85-2.63; P < .001), nonischemic cardiomyopathies (adjusted HR 1.66; 95% CI, 1.37-2.02; P < .001), and end-stage renal disease (adjusted HR 1.36; 95% CI, 1.07-1.73; P = .013). However, mortality was lower in patients with myocarditis compared with those with an acute myocardial infarction (adjusted HR 0.43; 95% CI:, 0.31-0.59; P < .001).

CONCLUSION

There is a broad differential for troponin elevation in young patients, which differs based on demographic features. Most nonmyocardial infarction causes of troponin elevation are associated with higher all-cause mortality compared with acute myocardial infarction.

Predictive Value of Intraoperative Troponin I Elevation in Pediatric Living Donor Liver Transplant Recipients With Biliary Atresia

BACKGROUND

Pediatric living donor liver transplantation is associated with slight alteration in cardiac enzymes without ongoing acute cardiac injury, but available information about the significance of these changes is limited. The aims of this study were to analyze the link between the anomalies of intraoperative serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and acute lung injury during the first week after liver transplantation.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, 123 children suffering from biliary atresia were enrolled. Several perioperative variables, particularly cTnI before operation and at 30 minutes of neohepatic phase were recorded. Sixty-four recipients were divided into high cTnI group (≥0.07 ng/mL) and 59 recipients composed normal cTnI group (<0.07 ng/mL). The clinical data between 2 groups were compared and the association between serum cTnI level and acute lung injury after living donor liver transplantation were evaluated by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS

The percentage of acute lung injury after pediatric living donor liver transplantation among high cTnI group and normal cTnI group was 34.3% and 11.9%, respectively. Intratransplant cTnI ≥ 0.07 ng/mL (odds ratio [OR], 3.475; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.114-10.842) was the risk factors for acute lung injury after transplantation. The value of cTnI showed the close correlation with preoperative bilirubin (OR, 1.005; 95% CI, 1.002-1.008) and pretransplant albumin (OR, 0.915; 95% CI, 0.849-0.986).

CONCLUSIONS

Intraoperative cTnI elevation was the significant prognostic risk factor in acute lung injury after pediatric living-donor liver transplantation for children with biliary atresia. And the value of cTnI was associated with preoperative bilirubin and albumin level.