SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate whether sarcopenia measured from pectoralis muscles is a risk factor for long-term mortality in left ventricular assist device patients. METHODS: Patients aged >18 years implanted with a left ventricular assist device in a single center between 2013 and 2019 were retrospectively included. Patients without a thoracic computed tomography scan performed within 3 months of left ventricular assist device implantation and without computed tomography scans appropriate for pectoralis muscle measurement were excluded. Pectoralis muscle measurements were made on thoracic computed tomography slices, and pectoralis muscle indices were calculated for each patient. Sarcopenia was defined as being in the gender-specific lowest tertile of pectoralis muscle index. Survival was compared between patients with and without sarcopenia. RESULTS: The study was conducted on 64 left ventricular assist device patients who met the inclusion criteria. Notably, 21 (32.8%) of the study patients were sarcopenic. Diabetes mellitus and sarcopenia were more common in patients with 2-year mortality in our cohort. Patients with sarcopenia had a worse 2-year survival (p<0.001). Sarcopenia had an adjusted hazard ratio of 4.04 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.36–12.02, p=0.012), while diabetes mellitus was associated with an adjusted hazard ratio of 3.14 (95%CI 1.17–8.39, p=0.023). CONCLUSION: Sarcopenia defined by low pectoralis muscle index increases the risk for 2-year mortality in left ventricular assist device patients.

Abstract Introduction: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a life-saving treatment in cardiogenic and respiratory shock. It is prone to various complications, infection being among the most frequent. This study aims to define the prevalence and characteristics of infections in ECMO patients in a tertiary care center for cardiac diseases. Methods: All ECMO patients between 2012 and 2016 in a single cardiac center were retrospectively included. Demographic data, ECMO indications, type, site, duration, and infection-related data were recorded. Data were analyzed among all patients and separately between pediatric and adult patient groups. Results: One hundred and twenty-six patients, 66 (53.4%) pediatric and 60 (47.6%) adult, received ECMO within the study period. Mean age was 3.54±4.27 years in the pediatric group and 54.92±15.57 years in the adult group. The main indication for ECMO was postcardiotomy shock (77.8%). Forty-six (36.5%) of all cases developed a culture-proven nosocomial infection with a rate of 49/1000 ECMO days. Infection was associated with > 5 days of ECMO duration and hemodialysis requirement in all patients and lower age in the pediatric group. The most frequent infection site was the lower respiratory tract (14.3%), while the most common isolated organisms were Klebsiella (8.7%) and Streptococcus (4.8%) species. Conclusion: The respiratory tract is the most common site of infection, however, all sites impose a threat to recovery, with longer treatment durations required for patients with culture-proven infections. A better understanding of the infectious spectrum and its effect on the mortality and morbidity is required for more successful treatment of ECMO patients.

Resumo Apesar dos avanços tecnológicos, os desfechos de longo prazo do reparo endovascular de aneurismas da aorta abdominal (endovascular aortic aneurysm repair – EVAR) ainda são objeto de debate. Embora a maioria das falhas de endoenxerto após EVAR possam ser corrigidas com técnicas endovasculares, conversão para cirurgia aberta ainda pode ser necessária. Um paciente de 70 anos de idade, do sexo masculino, apresentou-se no serviço de emergência com dor abdominal. Duas vezes, dois e quatro anos após o primeiro reparo, um enxerto foi colocado sobre uma porção não adesiva do stent devido a endoleak tipo Ia. Na mais recente hospitalização, a tomografia computadorizada mostrou endoleak tipo III e ruptura de um saco aneurismático. Nesta ocasião, o paciente foi submetido a conversão tardia para cirurgia aberta. A falha foi tratada com preservação total do corpo principal do enxerto endovascular e interposição de um enxerto tipo Dacron bifurcado. Este caso demonstra que a vigilância radiográfica ao longo de toda a vida deveria ser considerada nesse subgrupo de pacientes. Conversão tardia para cirurgia aberta após EVAR de aneurismas rotos da aorta abdominal pode ser realizada com segurança.

Abstract Despite technological advances, the long-term outcomes of endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) are still debatable. Although most endograft failures after EVAR can be corrected with endovascular techniques, open conversion may still be required. A 70-year-old male patient presented at the emergency unit with abdominal pain. Twice, in the third and fourth years after the first repair, a stent graft had been placed over a non-adhesive portion of the stent graft due to type Ia endoleaks. In the most recent admission, a CT scan showed type III endoleak and ruptured aneurysm sac. On this occasion the patient underwent late open conversion. The failure was repaired with total preservation of the main endovascular graft body and interposition of a bifurcated dacron graft. This case demonstrates that lifelong radiographic surveillance should be considered in this subset of patients. Late open conversion following EVAR of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms can be performed safely.