Head-to-head comparison of diagnostic scores for acute heart failure in the emergency department: results from the PARADISE cohort

BREST and PREDICA scores have recently emerged for the diagnosis of acute heart failure (AHF) in the emergency department (ED). This study aimed to perform a head-to-head comparison in a large contemporary cohort. BREST and PREDICA scores were calculated from, respectively, 11 and 8 routine clinical variables recorded in the ED in 1386 patients from the PArADIsE cohort. The diagnostic performance of the scores for adjudicated AHF diagnosis was assessed by the area under the ROC curve (AUC). Acute HF diagnosis was adjudicated according to the European Society of Cardiology criteria and BNP levels. A BREST score ≤ 3 or PREDICA score ≤ 1 was associated with low probabilities of AHF (5.7% and 2.6%, respectively). Conversely, a BREST score ≥ 9 or PREDICA score ≥ 5 was associated with a high risk of AHF diagnosis (77.3% and 66.9%, respectively) although more than half of the population was within the "gray zone" (4-8 and 2-4 for the BREST and PREDICA scores, respectively). Diagnostic performances of both scores were good (AUC 79.1%, [66.1-82.1] for the BREST score and 82.4%, [79.8-85.0] for the PREDICA score). PREDICA score had significantly higher diagnostic performance than BREST score (increase in AUC 3.3 [0.8-5.8], p = 0.009). Our study emphasizes the good diagnostic performance of both BREST and PREDICA scores, albeit with a significantly higher diagnostic performance of the PREDICA score. Yet, more than half of the population was classified within the "gray zone" by these scores; additional diagnostic tools are needed to ascertain AHF diagnosis in the ED in a majority of patients. Clinical trial registration: NCT02800122.

A Combination of Chest Radiography and Estimated Plasma Volume May Predict In-Hospital Mortality in Acute Heart Failure

Background: Patients with heart failure (HF) often display dyspnea associated with pulmonary congestion, along with intravascular congestion, both may result in urgent hospitalization and subsequent death. A combination of radiographic pulmonary congestion and plasma volume might screen patients with a high risk of in-hospital mortality in the emergency department (ED).

Methods: In the pathway of dyspneic patients in emergency (PARADISE) cohort, patients admitted for acute HF were stratified into 4 groups based on high or low congestion score index (CSI, ranging from 0 to 3, high value indicating severe congestion) and estimated plasma volume status (ePVS) calculated from hemoglobin/hematocrit.

Results: In a total of 252 patients (mean age, 81.9 years; male, 46.8%), CSI and ePVS were not correlated (Spearman rho <0 .10, p > 0.10). High CSI/high ePVS was associated with poorer renal function, but clinical congestion markers (i.e., natriuretic peptide) were comparable across CSI/ePVS categories. High CSI/high ePVS was associated with a four-fold higher risk of in-hospital mortality (adjusted-OR, 95%CI = 4.20, 1.10-19.67) compared with low CSI/low ePVS, whereas neither high CSI nor ePVS alone was associated with poor prognosis (all-p-value > 0.10; P_interaction = 0.03). High CSI/high ePVS improved a routine risk model (i.e., natriuretic peptide and lactate)(NRI = 46.9%, p = 0.02), resulting in high prediction of risk of in-hospital mortality (AUC = 0.85, 0.82-0.89).

Conclusion: In patients hospitalized for acute HF with relatively old age and comorbidity burdens, a combination of CSI and ePVS was associated with a risk of in-hospital death, and improved prognostic performance on top of a conventional risk model.

Correction: Diagnostic performance of congestion score index evaluated from chest radiography for acute heart failure in the emergency department: A retrospective analysis from the PARADISE cohort

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003419.].

Pre-Hospital Management of Critically Ill Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Retrospective Multicenter Study

INTRODUCTION

The COVID-19 outbreak had a major impact on healthcare systems worldwide. Our study aims to describe the characteristics and therapeutic emergency mobile service (EMS) management of patients with vital distress due to COVID-19, their in-hospital care pathway and their in-hospital outcome.

METHODS

This retrospective and multicentric study was conducted in the six main centers of the French Greater East region, an area heavily impacted by the pandemic. All patients requiring EMS dispatch and who were admitted straight to the intensive care unit (ICU) were included. Clinical data from their pre-hospital and hospital management were retrieved.

RESULTS

We included a total of 103 patients (78.6% male, median age 68). In the initial stage, patients were in a critical condition (median oxygen saturation was 72% (60-80%)). In the field, 77.7% (CI 95%: 71.8-88.3%) were intubated. Almost half of our population (45.6%, CI 95%: 37.1-56.9%) had clinical Phenotype 1 (silent hypoxemia), while the remaining half presented Phenotype 2 (acute respiratory failure). In the ICU, a great number had ARDS (77.7%, CI 95% 71.8-88.3% with a PaO2/FiO2 < 200). In-hospital mortality was 33% (CI 95%: 24.6-43.3%). The two phenotypes showed clinical and radiological differences (respiratory rate, OR = 0.98, p = 0.02; CT scan lesion extension >50%, OR = 0.76, p < 0.03). However, no difference was found in terms of overall in-hospital mortality (OR = 1.07, p = 0.74).

CONCLUSION

The clinical phenotypes appear to be very distinguishable in the pre-hospital field, yet no difference was found in terms of mortality. This leads us to recommend an identical management in the initial phase, despite the two distinct presentations.

Diagnostic performance of congestion score index evaluated from chest radiography for acute heart failure in the emergency department: A retrospective analysis from the PARADISE cohort

BACKGROUND

Congestion score index (CSI), a semiquantitative evaluation of congestion on chest radiography (CXR), is associated with outcome in patients with heart failure (HF). However, its diagnostic value in patients admitted for acute dyspnea has yet to be evaluated.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

The diagnostic value of CSI for acute HF (AHF; adjudicated from patients' discharge files) was studied in the Pathway of dyspneic patients in Emergency (PARADISE) cohort, including patients aged 18 years or older admitted for acute dyspnea in the emergency department (ED) of the Nancy University Hospital (France) between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015. CSI (ranging from 0 to 3) was evaluated using a semiquantitative method on CXR in consecutive patients admitted for acute dyspnea in the ED. Results were validated in independent cohorts (N = 224). Of 1,333 patients, mean (standard deviation [SD]) age was 72.0 (18.5) years, 686 (51.5%) were men, and mean (SD) CSI was 1.42 (0.79). Patients with higher CSI had more cardiovascular comorbidities, more severe congestion, higher b-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), poorer renal function, and more respiratory acidosis. AHF was diagnosed in 289 (21.7%) patients. CSI was significantly associated with AHF diagnosis (adjusted odds ratio [OR] for 0.1 unit CSI increase 1.19, 95% CI 1.16-1.22, p < 0.001) after adjustment for clinical-based diagnostic score including age, comorbidity burden, dyspnea, and clinical congestion. The diagnostic accuracy of CSI for AHF was >0.80, whether alone (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUROC] 0.84, 95% CI 0.82-0.86) or in addition to the clinical model (AUROC 0.87, 95% CI 0.85-0.90). CSI improved diagnostic accuracy on top of clinical variables (net reclassification improvement [NRI] = 94.9%) and clinical variables plus BNP (NRI = 55.0%). Similar diagnostic accuracy was observed in the validation cohorts (AUROC 0.75, 95% CI 0.68-0.82). The key limitation of our derivation cohort was its single-center and retrospective nature, which was counterbalanced by the validation in the independent cohorts.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, we observed that a systematic semiquantified assessment of radiographic pulmonary congestion showed high diagnostic value for AHF in dyspneic patients. Better use of CXR may provide an inexpensive, widely, and readily available method for AHF triage in the ED.

Effect of bystander CPR initiated by a dispatch centre following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest on 30-day survival: Adjusted results from the French National Cardiac Arrest Registry

AIM

Cardiac arrest (CA) was considered irreversible until 1960, when basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was defined. CPR guidelines include early recognition of CA, rapid and effective CPR, effective defibrillation strategies and organized post-resuscitation to ensure a strengthening of the survival chain. Bystanders are the key to extremely early management, which is associated with the early medical care provided by EMS. This study aims to assess the prognosis of a bystander's cardiac CPR when it is initiated by the Dispatch Centre (DC).

METHODS

We included patients in 3 groups according to who initiated the CPR. The groups were matched according to multiple propensity partition methods. We presented our results in terms of 30-day survival and neurological prognosis.

RESULTS

85,634 patients were included. Statistical study focused on 18,185 patients once the exclusion criteria were applied. 12,743 (70.1%) are men and the average age is 70.1 years. Survival at D30 was 5.11% in the absence of CPR, 8.86% with bystander initiation and 7.35% with DC initiation (p < 0.001). Survival at D30 with favourable neurologic prognosis (CPC 1-2) was 76.30%, 83.69% and 82.82%, respectively. Our results show a 3.75% increase in the chance of survival at D30 if CPR was initiated by bystanders compared to patients for whom CPR was not initiated, a 2.25% increase in survival in the group that received from CPR initiated by the DC compared to the group that did not receive CPR.

CONCLUSIONS

Bystander CPR initiated by the DC represents a suitable option following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Impact of renal dysfunction on the management and outcome of acute heart failure: results from the French prospective, multicentre, DeFSSICA survey

OBJECTIVES

Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) is the combination of acute heart failure syndrome (AHF) and renal dysfunction (creatinine clearance (CrCl) ≤60 mL/min). Real-life data were used to compare the management and outcome of AHF with and without renal dysfunction.

DESIGN

Prospective, multicentre.

SETTING

Twenty-six academic, community and regional hospitals in France.

PARTICIPANTS

507 patients with AHF were assessed in two groups according to renal function: group 1 (patients with CRS (CrCl ≤60 mL/min): n=335) and group 2 (patients with AHF with normal renal function (CrCl >60 mL/min): n=172).

RESULTS

Differences were observed (group 1 vs group 2) at admission for the incidence of chronic heart failure (56.42% vs 47.67%), use of furosemide (60.9% vs 52.91%), insulin (15.52% vs 9.3%) and amiodarone (14.33% vs 4.65%); additionally, more patients in group 1 carried a defibrillator (4.78% vs 0%), had ≥2 hospitalisations in the last year (15.52% vs 5.81%) and were under the care of a cardiologist (72.24% vs 61.63%). Clinical signs were broadly similar in each group. Brain-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and BNP prohormone were higher in group 1 than group 2 (1157.5 vs 534 ng/L and 5120 vs 2513 ng/mL), and more patients in group 1 were positive for troponin (58.2% vs 44.19%), had cardiomegaly (51.04% vs 37.21%) and interstitial opacities (60.3% vs 47.67%). The only difference in emergency treatment was the use of nitrates, (higher in group 1 (21.9% vs 12.21%)). In-hospital mortality and the percentage of patients still hospitalised after 30 days were similar between groups, but the median stay was longer in group 1 (8 days vs 6 days).

CONCLUSIONS

Renal impairment in AHF should not limit the use of loop diuretics and/or vasodilators, but early assessment of pulmonary congestion and close monitoring of the efficacy of conventional therapies is encouraged to allow rapid and appropriate implementation of alternative therapies if necessary.

Hyponatraemia, hyperglycaemia and worsening renal function at first blood sample on emergency department admission as predictors of in-hospital death in patients with dyspnoea with suspected acute heart failure: retrospective observational analysis of the PARADISE cohort

OBJECTIVES

To assess the prognostic value of hyponatraemia, hyperglycaemia and impaired estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in predicting in-hospital death in patients with acute heart failure (AHF) admitted for acute dyspnoea in the emergency department.

DESIGN

Retrospective observational study.

SETTING

Emergency Department of the University Hospital of Nancy. Data were collected from August 2013 to October 2015.

PARTICIPANTS

The analysis included 405 patients with AHF admitted for acute dyspnoea in an emergency department.

RESULTS

The population was elderly (mean age 82 years), 20.1% had hyponatraemia, 45.1% had hyperglycaemia and 48.6% had eGFR <50 mL/min/1.73 m². Sixty-one patients (15.1%) died in hospital, mostly due to cardiac aetiology (58.3%). In multivariable analysis adjusted for key potential confounders, adjusted hyponatraemia (OR=2.40, (1.16 to 4.98), p=0.02), hyperglycaemia (OR=2.00, 1.06 to 3.76, p=0.03) and eGFR <50 mL/min/1.73 m² (OR=1.97 (1.00 to 3.80), p=0.04*) were all identified as significant independent predictors of in-hospital death.

CONCLUSIONS

Results of basic routine laboratory tests (hyponatraemia, hyperglycaemia and impaired eGFR) performed on admission in the emergency department are independently associated with in-hospital death. These inexpensive tests, performed as early as patient admission in the emergency department, could allow the early identification of patients admitted for AHF who are at high risk of in-hospital death.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT02800122.