[Analysis of the characteristics of delayed high-degree atrioventricular block after transcatheter aortic valve...

Objective: To investigate the characteristics of delayed high-degree atrioventricular block (DHAVB) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Methods: One hundred and seventy-six patients who underwent TAVR with a self-extending valve between May 2014 and November 2018 in the Department of Cardiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, were retrospectively enrolled, including 101 males and 75 females, aged 54-92 (73±7) years, and the data were collected during the perioperative and 30 d follow-up periods. According to the occurrence of HAVB after TAVR, 160 patients were divided into no-HAVB group (145 cases) and DHAVB group (15 cases), except 16 patients who developed HAVB within 2 days after TAVR. Baseline data, intraoperative data, and immediate postoperative ECG characteristics were compared between the two groups, and logistic regression models were used to analyze the factors associated with the occurrence of DHAVB after TAVR. Meanwhile, the diagnostic ability of the postoperative routine 12-lead ECG for DHAVB was evaluated using the ambulatory ECG findings as the standard diagnosis. Results: The incidence of DHAVB was 8.5% (15/176) and occurred at 5 (4, 6) d. Compared with the no-HAVB group. The percentage of no new conduction block on the immediate postoperative ECG was lower in the DHAVB group [6/15 vs 66.2%(96/145), P=0.044], and the percentage of new right bundle branch block on the immediate postoperative ECG was higher [4/15 vs 3.4%(5/145), P=0.002]. Multifactorial logistic regression analysis showed that right bundle branch block on the immediate postoperative ECG [OR (95%CI):6.60 (1.26-34.47), P=0.025] was an associated factor for the development of DHAVB after TAVR. The specificity of postoperative routine 12-lead ECG for the diagnosis of DHAVB was 100% (145/145), but the sensitivity was only 73.3% (11/15). Conclusions: The incidence of DHAVB after TAVR is also high in Chinese. The immediate postoperative ECG characteristics of patients who underwent TAVR are associated with DHAVB events, and applying these characteristics to risk stratify patients may optimize the management of DHAVB after TAVR.