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Dean E Smith

Publications and source records attributed to Dean E Smith.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Long-term survival in patients presenting with type B acute aortic dissection: insights from the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection.

BACKGROUND: Follow-up survival studies in patients with acute type B aortic dissection have been restricted to a small number of patients in single centers. We used data from a contemporary registry of acute type B aortic dissection to better understand factors associated with adverse long-term survival. METHODS AND RESULTS: We examined 242 consecutive patients discharged alive with acute type B aortic dissection enrolled in the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection (IRAD) between 1996 and 2003. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were constructed, and Cox proportional hazards analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of follow-up mortality. Three-year survival for patients treated medically, surgically, or with endovascular therapy was 77.6+/-6.6%, 82.8+/-18.9%, and 76.2+/-25.2%, respectively (median follow-up 2.3 years, log-rank P=0.61). Independent predictors of follow-up mortality included female gender (hazard ratio [HR],1.99; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07 to 3.71; P=0.03), a history of prior aortic aneurysm (HR, 2.17; 95% CI, 1.03 to 4.59; P=0.04), a history of atherosclerosis (HR, 2.48; 95% CI, 1.32 to 4.66; P<0.01), in-hospital renal failure (HR, 2.55; 95% CI, 1.15 to 5.63; P=0.02), pleural effusion on chest radiograph (HR, 2.56; 95% CI, 1.18 to 5.58; P=0.02), and in-hospital hypotension/shock (HR, 12.5; 95% CI, 3.24 to 48.21; P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Contemporary follow-up mortality in patients who survive to hospital discharge with acute type B aortic dissection is high, approaching 1 in every 4 patients at 3 years. Current treatment and follow-up surveillance require further study to better understand and optimize care for patients with this complex disease.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2006

Long-term survival in patients presenting with type A acute aortic dissection: insights from the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection (IRAD).

BACKGROUND: Earlier studies evaluating long-term survival in type A acute aortic dissection (TA-AAD) have been restricted to a small number of patients in single center experiences. We used data from a contemporary, multi-center international registry of TA-AAD patients to better understand factors associated with long-term survival. METHODS AND RESULTS: We examined 303 consecutive patients with TA-AAD enrolled in the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection (IRAD) between 1996 and 2003. We included patients who were discharged alive and had documented clinical follow-up data. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were constructed to depict cumulative survival in patients from date of hospital discharge. Stepwise Cox proportional hazards analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of follow-up mortality. We found that 273 (90.1%) patients had been managed surgically and 30 (9.9%) were managed medically. Patients who were dead at follow-up were more likely to be older (63.9 versus 58.4 years, P=0.007) and to have had previous cardiac surgery (23.9% versus 10.6%, P=0.01). Survival for patients treated with surgery was 96.1%+/-2.4% and 90.5%+/-3.9% at 1 and 3 years versus 88.6%+/-12.2% and 68.7%+/-19.8% without surgery (mean follow-up overall, 2.8 years, log rank P=0.009). Multivariate analysis identified a history of atherosclerosis (relative risk (RR), 2.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08 to 4.37; P=0.03) and previous cardiac surgery (RR, 2.54; 95% CI, 1.16 to 5.57; P=0.02) as significant, independent predictors of follow-up mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Contemporary 1- and 3-year survival in patients with TA-AAD treated surgically are excellent. Independent predictors of survival during the follow-up period do not appear to be influenced by in-hospital risks but rather preexisting comorbidities.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2006

Association of a continuous quality improvement initiative with practice and outcome variations of contemporary percutaneous coronary interventions.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of a continuous quality improvement program with practice and outcome variations of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS AND RESULTS: Data on consecutive PCI were collected in a consortium of 5 hospitals; 3731 PCIs reflected care provided at baseline (January 1, 1998, to December 31, 1998), and 5901 PCIs reflected care provided after implementation of a continuous quality improvement intervention (January 1, 2002, to December 31, 2002). The intervention included feedback on outcomes, working group meetings, site visits, selection of quality indicators, and use of bedside tools for quality improvement and risk assessment. Postintervention data were compared with baseline and with 10,287 PCIs from 7 hospitals added to the consortium in 2002. Quality indicators included use of preprocedural aspirin or clopidogrel, use of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor blockers and postprocedural heparin, and amount of contrast media per case. Outcomes selected included emergency CABG, contrast nephropathy, myocardial infarction, stroke, transfusion, and in-hospital death. Compared with baseline and the control group, the intervention group at follow-up had higher use of preprocedural aspirin and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa blockers, lower use of postprocedural heparin, and a lower amount of contrast media per case (P<0.05). These changes were associated with lower rates of transfusions, vascular complications, contrast nephropathy, stroke, transient ischemic attack, and combined end points (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our nonrandomized, observational data suggest that implementation of a regional continuous quality improvement program appears to be associated with enhanced adherence to quality indicators and improved outcomes of PCI. A randomized clinical trial is needed to determine whether this is a "causal" or a "casual" relationship.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Acute intramural hematoma of the aorta: a mystery in evolution.

BACKGROUND: The definition, prevalence, outcomes, and appropriate treatment strategies for acute intramural hematoma (IMH) continue to be debated. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 1010 patients with acute aortic syndromes who were enrolled in the International Registry of Aortic Dissection (IRAD) to delineate the prevalence, presentation, management, and outcomes of acute IMH by comparing these patients with those with classic aortic dissection (AD). Fifty-eight (5.7%) patients had IMH, and this cohort tended to be older (68.7 versus 61.7 years; P<0.001) and more likely to have distal aortic involvement (60.3% versus 35.3%; P<0.001) compared with 952 patients with AD. Patients with IMH described more severe initial pain than did those with AD but were less likely to have ischemic leg pain, pulse deficits, or aortic valve insufficiency; moreover, they required a longer time to diagnosis and more diagnostic tests. Overall mortality of IMH was similar to that of classic AD (20.7% versus 23.9%; P=0.57), as was mortality in patients with IMH of the descending aorta (8.3% versus 13.1%; P=0.60) and the ascending aorta (39.1% versus 29.9%; P=0.34) compared with AD. IMH limited to the aortic arch was seen in 7 patients, with no deaths, despite medical therapy in only 6 of the 7 individuals. Among the 51 patients whose initial diagnostic study showed IMH only, 8 (16%) progressed to AD on a serial imaging study. CONCLUSIONS: The IRAD data demonstrate a 5.7% prevalence of IMH in patients with acute aortic syndromes. Like classic AD, IMH is a highly lethal condition when it involves the ascending aorta and surgical therapy should be considered, but this condition is less critical when limited to the arch or descending aorta. Fully 16% of patients have evidence of evolution to dissection on serial imaging.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2005

Clinical characteristics of hypotension in patients with acute aortic dissection.

To evaluate the clinical characteristics, risk factors, and outcomes of hypotension in unselected patients who had acute aortic dissection (AAD), we studied 1,073 such patients who were enrolled in the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection between 1996 and 2001. Hypotension was noted in 313 patients (29.2%) who had AAD (46.0% on admission). Multivariate logistic regression identified age >or=70 years (odds ratio [OR] 2.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4 to 2.9), type A dissection (referent type B AAD; OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.4 to 3.2), neurologic deficit (OR 3.8, 95% CI 2.2 to 6.6), syncope (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.8 to 4.7), aortic regurgitation requiring valve surgery (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.1 to 3.3), cardiac tamponade (OR 5.1, 95% CI 3.0 to 8.8), and new Q-wave or ST-segment deviation on an electrocardiogram (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.4) as independent associations of hypotension (c statistic 0.78). Hospital complications (neurologic deficits 22.7% vs 12.0%, altered mental status 26.1% vs 4.4%, myocardial ischemia 14.6% vs 6.9%, mesenteric ischemia 6.9% vs 2.6%, or limb ischemia 14.6% vs 6.9%, and death 55.0% vs 10.3%) occurred more frequently in patients who had hypotension than in those who did not (p <0.001 for all comparisons). We concluded that hypotension that occurred in >25% of patients who had AAD was associated with a much higher rate of in-hospital adverse events. Our study also identified factors associated with hypotension in patients who had AAD.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2005

Incidence, risk factors, and prognosis of inhospital heart failure after percutaneous coronary intervention: insight from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium (BMC2).

BACKGROUND: Prior history of heart failure (HF) has been shown to be a predictor of poor outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Clinical predictors of the development of inhospital HF and its prognostic significance after PCI have yet to be defined. In this study, we sought to identify the incidence, risk factors, and prognosis of inhospital HF after PCI. METHODS: Using a contemporary registry of consecutive PCIs, the incidence of HF after PCI was identified. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine predictors of the development of HF after PCI as well as the impact of HF on inhospital mortality. RESULTS: The incidence of HF after PCI in the overall patient population was 1.4%. Independent predictors of HF were female sex, age > or = 60 years, exceeding a maximum weight- and creatinine-adjusted contrast dose, diabetes, prior HF, prior gastrointestinal bleeding, prior chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, history of atrial fibrillation, American College of Cardiology type B2 or C vessel, emergency PCI, ejection fraction < 50%, myocardial infarction with or without cardiogenic shock, and repeat angiography. After adjustment for comorbidities, the development of HF was independently associated with an increased risk of inhospital death (adjusted OR 2.48, 95% CI 1.77-3.48). CONCLUSIONS: The development of HF is a relatively uncommon occurrence after PCI and is associated with a poor prognosis. The identification of risk factors for HF could foster the development of interventions aimed toward its prevention in high-risk patients.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Statin therapy reduces contrast-induced nephropathy: an analysis of contemporary percutaneous interventions.

PURPOSE: We sought to examine whether statin therapy before percutaneous coronary intervention results in reduction in contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). Intravascular administration of contrast media can have nephrotoxic effects, particularly in patients with baseline renal insufficiency. Along with lowering serum cholesterol, statins have pleiotropic effects in the vasculature. The effect of statin use on CIN is unknown. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We studied 29409 patients who had both baseline preprocedure and peak postprocedure serum creatinine measured at the time of their percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Baseline demographics and creatinine profile before and after the procedure were compared between patients who received preprocedure statins and those who did not. CIN was defined as an increase in serum creatinine of < or =0.5 mg/dL. RESULTS: Baseline serum creatinine was similar between the two groups. When compared with patients who did not receive preprocedure statins, patients on preprocedure statins had a lower incidence of CIN (4.37 vs 5.93, P <0.0001) and nephropathy requiring dialysis (0.32 vs 0.49, P = 0.03). After adjustments for comorbidities, preprocedure statin use was associated with a significant reduction in CIN (odds ration [OR] 0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.77-0.99, P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Preprocedure statin use is associated with significant reduction in CIN after contemporary PCI. This reinforces the need to initiate statin therapy before percutaneous coronary interventions.

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary↗
PubMed2005

Contemporary results of surgery in acute type A aortic dissection: The International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection experience.

BACKGROUND: Surgical mortality for acute type A aortic dissection reported in different experiences from single centers or surgeons varies from 7% to 30%. The International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection, collecting patients from 18 referral centers worldwide, identifies a preoperative risk stratification scheme and a real average surgical mortality for acute type A aortic dissection in the current era. METHODS: A comprehensive analysis was completed of 290 clinical variables and their relationship to surgical outcomes in 526 of 1032 patients enrolled in the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection from 1996 through 2001. Extracted cases, categorized according to risk profile, were defined as unstable (group I) in the presence of cardiac tamponade; shock; congestive heart failure; cerebrovascular accident; stroke; coma; myocardial ischemia, infarction, or both; electrocardiograms with new Q waves or ST elevation; acute renal failure; or mesenteric ischemia-infarction at the time of the operation. Outside of an unstable condition, patients were categorized as stable (group II). RESULTS: The overall in-hospital mortality was 25.1%. Mortality in group I was 31.4% compared with 16.7% in group II ( P < .001). Independent preoperative predictors of operative mortality were history of aortic valve replacement (odds ratio = 3.12), migrating chest pain (odds ratio = 2.77), hypotension as sign of acute type A aortic dissection (odds ratio = 1.95), shock or tamponade (odds ratio = 2.69), preoperative cardiac tamponade (odds ratio = 2.22), and preoperative limb ischemia (odds ratio = 2.10). CONCLUSIONS: The International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection experience confirms that patient selection plays an important role in determining surgical outcomes in patients with acute type A aortic dissection. Knowledge of significant risk factors for operative mortality can contribute to better management and a more defined risk assessment in patients affected by acute type A aortic dissection.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2005

Does circadian and seasonal variation in occurrence of acute aortic dissection influence in-hospital outcomes?

The risk of acute aortic dissection (AAD) exhibits chronobiological variations with peak onset in the morning and in winter. However, it is not known whether the time of day or season of the year of the AAD affects clinical outcomes. We studied 1,032 patients enrolled in the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection from January 1997 to December 2001. For circadian and seasonal analysis, the time and date of symptom onset were available for 741 and 1,007 patients, respectively, and were grouped into four 6h periods (morning, afternoon, evening, and night) and four seasons (winter, spring, summer, and autumn). The chi2 test for goodness of fit was used to evaluate non-uniformity of the time of day and time of year for critical in-hospital clinical events, including death. While highest incidence of AAD occurred in the morning and winter, clinical events (including mortality) were similar during the four different periods of the 24 h (chi2 = 1.9, p = 0.60) and seasonal (chi2 = 1.2, p = 0.75) periods.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Differences in clinical presentation, management, and outcomes of acute type a aortic dissection in patients with and without previous cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: There are less data on the clinical and diagnostic imaging characteristics, management, and outcomes of patients with previous cardiac surgery (PCS) presenting with acute type A aortic dissection (AAD). METHODS AND RESULTS: In 617 patients with AAD, we evaluated the differences in the clinical characteristics, management, and in-hospital outcomes of the cohorts with and without PCS. A history of PCS was present in 100 of 617 patients. Patients with PCS were more likely to be males (P=0.02), older (P=0.014), and to have a history of previous aortic dissection (P<0.001) or aneurysms (P<0.001). In contrast, PCS patients were less likely to have presenting chest pain (P<0.001). Cardiac tamponade was less common in PCS patients (P=0.007). Fewer AAD patients with PCS underwent surgical repair (P=0.001). Hospital mortality was not adversely influenced by PCS (odds ratio [OR], 1.46; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.81 to 2.63), but a trend for increased death was seen in patients with previous aortic valve replacement (AVR) (OR, 2.31; 95% CI, 0.98 to 5.43). Age 70 years or older, previous AVR, shock, and renal failure identified PCS patients at risk for death. CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights differences in clinical characteristics, management, and outcomes of AAD patients with PCS. Importantly, PCS, with the exception of previous AVR, does not adversely influence early outcomes of AAD patients, including those undergoing surgical repair. However, because of otherwise dismal outcomes with medical management of AAD, our data indicate that a history of PCS (even that of previous AVR) should not preclude physicians from recommending surgical correction of type A aortic dissection in appropriate patients.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
PubMed2004

Gender-related differences in acute aortic dissection.

BACKGROUND: Few data exist on gender-related differences in clinical presentation, diagnostic findings, management, and outcomes in acute aortic dissection (AAD). METHODS AND RESULTS: Accordingly, we evaluated 1078 patients enrolled in the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection (IRAD) to assess differences in clinical features, management, and in-hospital outcomes between men and women. Of the patients enrolled in IRAD (32.1%) with AAD, 346 were women. Although less frequently affected by AAD (32.1% of AAD), women were significantly older and had more often presented later than men (P=0.008); symptoms of coma/altered mental status were more common, whereas pulse deficit was less common. Diagnostic imaging suggestive of rupture, ie, periaortic hematoma, and pleural or pericardial effusion were more commonly observed in women. In-hospital complications of hypotension and tamponade occurred with greater frequency in women, resulting in higher in-hospital mortality compared with men. After adjustment for age and hypertension, women with aortic dissection die more frequently than men (OR, 1.4, P=0.04), predominantly in the 66- to 75-year age group. Moreover, surgical outcome was worse in women than men (P=0.013); type A dissection in women was associated with a higher surgical mortality of 32% versus 22% in men despite similar delay, surgical technique, and hemodynamics. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis provides insights into gender-related differences in AAD with regard to clinical characteristics, management, and outcomes; important diagnostic and therapeutic implications may help shed light on aortic dissection in women to improve their outcomes.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2004

Characterizing the young patient with aortic dissection: results from the International Registry of Aortic Dissection (IRAD).

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to better characterize the young patient with aortic dissection (AoD). BACKGROUND: Aortic dissection is unusual in young patients, and frequently associated with unusual presentations. METHODS: Data were collected on 951 patients diagnosed with AoD between January 1996 and November 2001. Two categories of patients, <40 years and >or=40 years, were compared using chi-square cross tabulations for categorical and Student t test for continuous data. RESULTS: Sixty-eight patients (7%) with AoD were <40 years of age. Compared with patients >or=40 years, younger patients were less likely to have a prior history of hypertension (p < 0.05); however, younger patients were more likely to have Marfan syndrome, bicuspid aortic valve, and prior aortic surgery (all, p < 0.05). Clinical presentations in the two age groups were similar; however, younger patients were less likely to be hypertensive (25% vs. 45%, p = 0.003). The proximal aortas of young AoD patients were larger (all, p < 0.05) compared with older patients. These differences in aortic size between age groups were not entirely related to Marfan syndrome. Mortality among young patients was similar to patients >or=40 years of age (22% vs. 24%, p = NS), irrespective of the site of dissection. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with older patients with AoD, young patients have unique risk factors for dissection: Marfan syndrome, bicuspid aortic valves, and larger aortic dimensions. Surprisingly, the mortality risk for young AoD patients is not lower than older AoD patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Acute type B aortic dissection in elderly patients: clinical features, outcomes, and simple risk stratification rule.

BACKGROUND: The clinical features and outcomes of elderly patients with acute type B aortic dissection (ABAD) are less well known. Accordingly, we sought to evaluate the clinical features and outcomes and derive a simple risk stratification rule for elderly with ABAD. METHODS: We categorized 383 patients with ABAD enrolled in the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection into two strata (aged less than 70 years and aged 70 years or more) and compared their clinical features and in-hospital outcomes. Further, we developed a clinical decision rule to risk-stratify elderly with ABAD. RESULTS: Forty-two percent (161 of 383) of patients with ABAD were aged 70 years or more. Hypertension, diabetes, history of prior aortic aneurysm, and arteriosclerosis were more common in the elderly patients, whereas Marfan syndrome and cocaine abuse were less common. The in-hospital complication of hypotension/shock was more common among elderly, and malperfusion of a visceral organ less frequent among elderly patients. In-hospital mortality was higher in the elderly cohort compared with the younger patients (16% versus 10%, p = 0.07). A classification tree identified that elderly patients with hypotension/shock had the highest risk of death (56%). In absence of this, any branch vessel involvement was associated with the next highest mortality rate (28.6%) followed by presence of periaortic hematoma (10.5%). In contrast, elderly patients without any of these three risk factors had an extremely low mortality rate (1.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights important differences between older and younger patients with ABAD in their clinical characteristics, management, and outcomes. We also propose a simple decision rule that allows stepwise risk-stratification in elderly patients with ABAD.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Branch vessel complications are increased in aortic dissection patients with renal insufficiency.

Morbidity and mortality from aortic dissection remain high despite advances in diagnosis and treatment. Simple markers to identify patients at high risk for non-aortic complications of dissection are lacking. We investigated the effect of renal insufficiency on the presentation, complications, and outcome of patients with acute aortic dissection. We evaluated 638 patients with type A and 365 patients with type B aortic dissection enrolled in the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection (IRAD) between January 1996 and December 2000. Chi-squared and Student's ttesting were performed to identify the effect of renal insufficiency on patient presentation, management, and outcome. Patients with renal insufficiency more often required nitroprusside for blood pressure control (type A: 40.7% vs 31.1%, p = 0.049; type B: 66.7% vs 37.3, p = 0.0001) and had a greater risk of mesenteric ischemia (type A: 10.7% vs 1.4%, p < 0.0001; type B: 17.7% vs 3.0%, p < 0.0001). In conclusion, aortic dissection patients with renal insufficiency are at increased risk for drug-resistant hypertension and aortic branch vessel compromise. Routine measurement of serum creatinine provides a readily accessible clinical marker for important complications. Upon recognition, renal impairment indicates a need for close monitoring, aggressive blood pressure control, and evaluation of aortic branch vessel circulations.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2004

Work-related outcomes after a myocardial infarction.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate work-related outcomes of patients at 7 months after a myocardial infarction and to identify patient, disease, and intervention characteristics associated with these outcomes. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey analysis. SETTING: Large Midwestern academic health system. PATIENTS: Eighty-nine patients with the discharge diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction during a 1-year index period. INTERVENTION: Work performance questionnaire administered by telephone, and medical record review. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Seven months after discharge, 232 patients were interviewed by telephone to determine work status before and after myocardial infarction, work-related outcomes (absenteeism and perceived work performance, assessed by the Work Performance Scale [WPS] of the Functional Status Questionnaire), and health-related quality of life. Univariate analyses were used to determine the association between individual characteristics and work-related outcomes. Of the 89 patients who had worked before the index myocardial infarction, 21 (23.6%) did not return to work. Variables associated with the outcome of not returning to work were past myocardial infarction (before the index myocardial infarction), coronary artery bypass graft surgery, heart failure, positive stress test, and low score on the Physical Component Summary (PCS-12) scale of the Short Form-12. Patients who did not return to work also tended to have more comorbidities and take more prescribed drugs than those who returned to work. Median WPS scores were higher for patients who had higher ejection fractions at discharge, had not experienced a myocardial infarction before the index event, underwent a percutaneous revascularization intervention at the time of hospitalization, and had not recently been absent from work. Workers reporting absences had lower PCS-12 scores than their counterparts or reported a rehospitalization before the survey. CONCLUSION: Preexisting cardiac disease and poorer physical functioning were consistently related to worse work-related outcomes. This small study demonstrates the need for a larger, broader study that includes health beliefs, treatment, and other job and patient factors that may influence work-related outcomes.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed2003

Impact of extracardiac vascular disease on acute prognosis in patients who undergo percutaneous coronary interventions (data from the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium [BMC2]).

Extracardiac vascular disease is associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality and other complications after coronary interventions, independent from other co-morbidities and baseline characteristics. The underlying cause of this significant association is unclear, but it warrants further investigation in an attempt to improve outcome in this high-risk cohort.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Clinical profiles and outcomes of acute type B aortic dissection in the current era: lessons from the International Registry of Aortic Dissection (IRAD).

BACKGROUND: Clinical profiles and outcomes of patients with acute type B aortic dissection have not been evaluated in the current era. METHODS AND RESULTS: Accordingly, we analyzed 384 patients (65+/-13 years, males 71%) with acute type B aortic dissection enrolled in the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection (IRAD). A majority of patients had hypertension and presented with acute chest/back pain. Only one-half showed abnormal findings on chest radiograph, and almost all patients had computerized tomography (CT), transesophageal echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and/or aortogram to confirm the diagnosis. In-hospital mortality was 13% with most deaths occurring within the first week. Factors associated with increased in-hospital mortality on univariate analysis were hypotension/shock, widened mediastinum, periaortic hematoma, excessively dilated aorta (>or=6 cm), in-hospital complications of coma/altered consciousness, mesenteric/limb ischemia, acute renal failure, and surgical management (all P<0.05). A risk prediction model with control for age and gender showed hypotension/shock (odds ratio [OR] 23.8, P<0.0001), absence of chest/back pain on presentation (OR 3.5, P=0.01), and branch vessel involvement (OR 2.9, P=0.02), collectively named 'the deadly triad' to be independent predictors of in-hospital death. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides insight into current-day profiles and outcomes of acute type B aortic dissection. Factors associated with increased in-hospital mortality ("the deadly triad") should be identified and taken into consideration for risk stratification and decision-making.

Aged↗