Management and Outcome of Patients Admitted With Tricuspid Regurgitation in France

Growing evidence shows a major outcome impact and undertreatment of tricuspid regurgitation (TR), but large and comprehensive contemporary reports of management and outcome at the nationwide level are lacking.

We gathered all consecutive patients admitted with a diagnosis of likely functional TR in 2014-2015 in France from the Programme de Médicalisation des Systèmes d'Information national database and collected rate of surgery, in-hospital mortality, 1-year mortality, or heart failure (HF) readmission rates.

In 2014-2015, 17,676 consecutive patients (75 ± 14 years of age, 51% female) were admitted with a TR diagnosis. Charlson index was ≥ 2 in 56% of the population and 46% presented with HF. TR was associated with prior cardiac surgery, ischemic/dilated cardiomyopathy, or mitral regurgitation in 73% of patients. Only 10% of TR patients overall and 67% of those undergoing mitral valve surgery received a tricuspid valve intervention. Among the 13,654 (77%) conservatively managed patients, in-hospital mortality, 1-year mortality, and 1-year mortality or HF readmission rates were 5.1%, 17.8%, and 41%, respectively, overall, and 5.3%,17.2%, and 37%, respectively, among those with no underlying medical conditions (8-fold higher than predicted for age and gender).

This nationwide cohort of patients admitted with TR included elderly patients with frequent comorbidities/underlying cardiac diseases. In patients conservatively managed, mortality and morbidity were considerably high over a short time span. Despite this poor prognosis, only 10% of patients underwent a tricuspid valve intervention. These nationwide data showing a considerable risk and potential underuse of treatment highlight the critical need to develop strategies to improve the management and outcomes of TR patients.