Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31852537›Full record

ArticleJournal of cardiothoracic surgery2019

Pulsatile arterial blood pressure mimicking aortic valve opening during continuous-flow LVAD support: a case report.

Matthias Paprotny, Frank Ruschitzka, Bernd Lüders, Markus J Wilhelm, Raed Aser, Dominique Bettex, Andreas J Flammer, Alain Rudiger, Stephan Winnik

Open access · goldAbstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of cardiothoracic surgery, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 47% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Matthias PaprotnyUniversity Heart Center Zurich, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistrasse 100, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland.
Frank RuschitzkaUniversity Heart Center Zurich, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistrasse 100, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland.
Bernd LüdersUniversity Heart Center Zurich, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistrasse 100, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland.
Markus J WilhelmUniversity Heart Center Zurich, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistrasse 100, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland.
Raed AserUniversity Heart Center Zurich, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistrasse 100, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland.
Dominique BettexInstitute of Anesthesiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Andreas J FlammerUniversity Heart Center Zurich, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistrasse 100, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland.
Alain RudigerInstitute of Anesthesiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Stephan WinnikUniversity Heart Center Zurich, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistrasse 100, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland. stephan.winnik@usz.ch.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1277-5132
University Hospital of Zurich · CHUniversity of Zurich · CH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLeft ventricular assist devices (LVAD) have become a common treatment option in advanced heart failure. Lack of aortic valve opening during left ventricular unloading is a common complication and associated with a worse outcome. Maintaining a minimum pulse pressure is an important goal during the early postoperative period after LVAD implantation since it is commonly seen as secure sign of aortic valve opening. AIMS/

objectiveWe report a case of an LVAD-supported patient with early permanent closure of the aortic valve despite a pulse pressure > 15 mmHg at all times following LVAD implantation. We demonstrate how careful assessment of the invasive arterial blood pressure curve can indicate aortic valve closure irrespective of pulsatile blood flow.

methodA 69-year old male patient with terminal ischemic cardiomyopathy was referred for long-term mechanical circulatory support. Due to mild aortic regurgitation both an aortic bioprosthesis and a continuous-flow left ventricular assist device were implanted. Postoperative echocardiography documented a patent aortic bioprosthesis and an acceptable residual systolic left ventricular contractility. During invasive arterial blood pressure monitoring repetitive transient slight blood pressure decreases followed by slight blood pressure increases coincided with programmed LVAD flushing cycles. Permanent pulsatile flow with a pulse pressure of ≥15 mmHg conveyed systolic opening of the aortic valve. Echocardiography, however, proved early permanent aortic valve closure. In retrospect, transformation of the automated LVAD flushing cycles into visible changes of the arterial blood pressure curve during invasive blood pressure monitoring is indicative of ejection of the complete cardiac output through LVAD itself, and therefore an early clinical sign of aortic valve closure. DISCUSSION/

conclusionWe present this interesting didactic case to highlight caveats during the early postoperative period after LVAD implantation. Moreover, this case demonstrates that careful and differentiated observation of the arterial blood pressure waveform provides crucial information in this unique and growing patient population of continuous-flow LVAD support.

Indexed as

AgedAortic Valve InsufficiencyBlood PressureDiagnosis, DifferentialEchocardiographyHeart-Assist DevicesHeart FailureHumansMalePostoperative ComplicationsPulsatile FlowSystoleAortic valveInvasive arterial blood pressure monitoringLeft ventricular assist deviceMechanical circulatory support

Identifiers

PMID31852537
PMCPMC6921524
OpenAlexW2994681764

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.