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Benefits of Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in an Asynchronous Heart Failure Model Induced by Left Bundle Branch Ablation and Rapid Pacing
Published on: December 11, 2017
Reduction in hospitalization rates following cardiac resynchronisation therapy in cardiac failure: experience from a
Lana J Dixon1, J Gerry Murtagh, S Geoff Richardson
1Regional Cardiology Centre, Belfast City Hospital, Northern Ireland. l.dixon@qub.ac.uk
Insights
Cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) significantly improves heart failure symptoms and exercise capacity. This treatment drastically reduces hospitalizations and associated costs for patients with congestive cardiac failure (CCF).
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Devices
Background:
- Congestive cardiac failure (CCF) leads to frequent, prolonged hospitalizations, incurring substantial healthcare expenses.
- Cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) is an emerging treatment for CCF patients with cardiac conduction abnormalities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of CRT on New York Heart Association (NYHA) symptom class, exercise tolerance, and hospitalization rates in CCF patients.
Main Methods:
- A single-center study involving 27 patients who received CRT.
- NYHA class, exercise tolerance (6-minute hall walk test), and hospitalization rates were recorded for 12 months pre- and post-CRT.
Main Results:
- NYHA class improved significantly (P < 0.05), and exercise tolerance increased by 64% (P = 0.007).
- Hospital days for CCF stabilization decreased by 98% (P < 0.001), resulting in significant cost savings.
Conclusions:
- CRT offers substantial clinical benefits for CCF patients, including improved symptoms and exercise capacity.
- CRT leads to considerable reductions in hospital admissions and healthcare costs for individuals with congestive cardiac failure.
Aims:
Frequent, lengthy hospital admissions for congestive cardiac failure (CCF) result in excessive health care costs. Cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) is a novel treatment option for patients with CCF and associated cardiac conduction defects. We investigated whether CRT resulted in significant improvements in New York Heart Association (NYHA) symptom class, exercise tolerance, and hospitalization rates in such patients.
Methods:
Twenty-seven patients who underwent CRT in a single centre were studied, with NYHA symptom class, exercise tolerance and hospitalization rates noted in the 12 months prior to and following CRT.
Results:
Following 12 months of CRT, NYHA symptom class improved from 3.3 +/- 0.5 to 2.1 +/- 0.4 (P < 0.05). Exercise tolerance, assessed by 6 min hall walk test increased by 64% from 195 +/- 114 m to 320 +/- 85 m (P = 0.007). Days in hospital for stabilisation of cardiac failure decreased by 98% from 472 to 9 days (P < 0.001). Significant hospitalization cost savings of 201,684 euros were calculated, with an overall saving of 12,420 euros.
Conclusions:
These data demonstrate that CRT results in significant improvement in clinical parameters, and considerable reductions in hospital admissions, and costs in patients with CCF.
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