Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35811728›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in cardiovascular medicine2022

Theophylline Use to Prevent Permanent Pacing in the Contemporary Era of Heart Transplantation: The Rotterdam Experience.

Claudette Kooij, Tamas Szili-Torok, Stefan Roest, Alina A Constantinescu, Jasper J Brugts, Olivier Manintveld, Kadir Caliskan

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.3field-weighted citation impact, top 21% 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

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Implantation of a permanent pacemaker following orthotopic heart transplantation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
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

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Claudette KooijDepartment of Cardiology, Thorax Center, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Tamas Szili-TorokDepartment of Cardiology, Thorax Center, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Stefan RoestDepartment of Cardiology, Thorax Center, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Alina A ConstantinescuDepartment of Cardiology, Thorax Center, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Jasper J BrugtsDepartment of Cardiology, Thorax Center, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Olivier ManintveldDepartment of Cardiology, Thorax Center, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Kadir CaliskanDepartment of Cardiology, Thorax Center, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Erasmus MC Cancer Institute · NLErasmus MC · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Sinus node dysfunction and atrioventricular conduction disorders occur increasingly after orthotopic heart transplantation (HTX) due to aging donors and may require permanent pacemaker (PM) implantation. Theophylline has been used in the past in selected cases as an alternative to PM implantation. Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the rate and success of oral theophylline administration after orthotopic heart transplantation preventing permanent PM implantation. Methods: We included all patients treated with theophylline post HTX due to bradyarrhythmia's in our center from January 1985 to January 2020. Data was obtained retrospectively through electronic patient files. Re-transplants and patients who died within 1 month post HTX were excluded from the analysis. Results: Of the total of 751 heart transplant recipients, 73 (9,7%) patients (mean age 46 ± 15.2 years; 73% male) were treated with theophylline for bradyarrhythmia's early post HTX. Of these patients, 14 (19%) patients needed a permanent PM during hospitalization and 10(14%) patients stopped using theophylline because of adequate heart rhythm. In the end, 49 (6.5% of the total) patients were discharged with a theophylline (mean maintenance doses of 354 ± 143 mg). At the outpatient clinics, additional 6 (12%) patients needed a PM within 7 months after discharge, with the rest stable sinus rhythm. Conclusion: In this retrospective data analyses oral theophylline remained a viable alternative to permanent PM implantations in patients post HTX with increased heart rates, facilitating the withdrawal of chronotropic support and avoiding the need of permanent PM implantation.

Indexed as

bradyarrhythmiaheart transplantationindicationpacemakerpreventiontheophylline

Identifiers

PMID35811728
PMCPMC9263186
OpenAlexW4283359771

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.