Abstract Background Acute ischemic strokes (AIS) occurring post percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are an infrequent but severe complication, resulting in increased mortality rates and morbidity in survivors. Purpose We aimed to investigate independent predictors of AIS and subsequent mortality in patients hospitalized for PCI in a nationwide cohort. Methods A retrospective analysis using on ICD-10-GM and OPS-codes obtained from 2006-2021 from the German Federal Statistical Office was performed. Patients with a peri-interventional AIS aged ≥18 years which were admitted for PCI were included in this analysis. A stepwise regression analysis was employed to identify factors independently associated with AIS and to determine variables linked to in-hospital mortality. Results From 4,910,430 PCI cases registered from 2006-2021, AIS occurred in 4,098 (0.08%) patients. Patients with an AIS were 70.9±11.3 years of age, predominantly male (65.3%) and displayed a high burden of comorbidities such as diabetes (36.1%), a prior medical history of atrial fibrillation (34.6%) and chronic kidney disease (19.4%). In patients with AIS, 27.4% presented with a ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), whilst 38.9% were admitted with a Non-STEMI. Concerning procedural characteristics, 84.2% underwent a coronary stent implantation, and in 5.5% cases a coronary thrombectomy was carried out. Important predictors of peri-interventional AIS after a PCI were: carotid artery disease, history of stroke, presentation with myocardial infraction, atrial fibrillation, and coronary thrombectomy. For variables like hyperlipoproteinemia, obesity and stent implantation an inverse association was noted (also see Figure 1A). With regard to mortality, during a mean in-hospital stay of 18 ± 15.1 days, a total of 18.1% (n=742) patients died. We identified several independent predictors of mortality including clinical presentation with cardiogenic shock, dialysis and STEMI as indication for PCI. A negative correlation with in-hospital mortality was seen for variables such as arterial hypertension and coronary stent implantation (see Figure 1B for full set of independently associated variables). Conclusion In a nationwide cohort of patients hospitalized for PCI over 16 years, we identified important predictors of AIS including carotid artery disease and coronary thrombectomy. Moreover, a substantial rate of in-hospital mortality as well as several predictors of death were recognized. Our findings might help clinicians identify patients undergoing PCI who are at highest risk for ischemic cerebral complications and subsequent mortality.

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Catheter ablation is the most effective rhythm control treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF) and benefits of early rhythm control (ERC) were recently demonstrated to be enhanced in patients with a high comorbidity burden (CHA2DS2-VASc ≥ 4). Incidence of pericardial effusion, a dreaded, potentially life-threatening complication that is associated with catheter ablation,has not been analyzed in larger patient cohorts stratified by CHA2DS2-VASc. Purpose To determine incidence of pericardial effusion and drained pericardial effusion related to left-atrial (LA) procedures in billing data between 2010 and 2021 of a large tertiary-care ablation center in Germany. Method Eligible cases of LA procedures were identified through analysis of coded OPS data between 2010 and 2021. This analysis included patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing an ablation procedure including a transseptal puncture and mapping in the left atrium, not for other supraventricular tachycardias. Analysis accounted for different versions of the ICD-10-GM and OPS-ICHI catalogues. Comorbidities and occurrences of complications were defined as derived variables on a case-wise analysis from documented ICD-10 and OPS codes. CHA2DS2-VASc-score was calculated from these derived variables and demographic parameters (age and sex). Results 8396 left atrial procedures in 6184 patients (35% female, 63.6±11.0 years old at index procedure) were analysed. Derived CHA2DS2-VASc was < 4 in 6529 (78%) and ≥ 4 in 1867 (22%) cases, median CHA2DS2-VASc was 2 (IQR 1;3) in the overall cohort. Non-paroxysmal AF was more prevalent in the CHA2DS2-VASc ≥ 4 group (62.5%) than in the overall cohort (56%) and in the CHA2DS2-VASc < 4 group (54%). Hypertension was the most common comorbidity in 5285 (63%) patients. Coronary artery disease was present in 1433 (17%), heart failure in 3757 (45%), chronic kidney disease in 899 (11%) patients, thereof 591 (7%) at a stage ≥ KDIGO III. Pericardial effusion was documented in 78/6529 (1.2%) in the CHA2DS2-VASc < 4 group. Thereof 35/78 (45%) required interventional or surgial drainage. In the CHA2DS2-VASc ≥ 4 group, pericardial effusion occurred in 21/1867 (1.1%) cases. Here, 10/21 (48%) required drainage. Occurrence of pericardial effusion did not differ between CHA2DS2-VASc-score stratified groups (χ2 p=0.805). Pericardial effusion requiring drainage was not different petween groups (χ2 p=0.822). Conclusion Patients with a higher comorbidity burden undergoing catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation in the past 10 years were not subject to an increased risk for pericardial effusion or drainage. This observation allows to perform highly efficient ablation procedures equally in patients with low and high comorbidity burden safely. Further analysis of the dataset regarding further left atrial ablation associated complications and their predictors will be provided.

Abstract Background Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) represents a clinically and morphologically diverse hereditary cardiac disease that is frequently associated with poor prognosis. Nationwide data on septal reduction therapy (SRT), alcohol septal ablation (ASA) and septal myectomy (SM), remains scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate (i) temporal trends, (ii) patient characteristics, (iii) in-hospital outcomes, and associations between institutional procedural volumes and outcomes after ASA and SM in a large-scale nationwide cohort. Methods Using data from the German Federal Bureau of Statistics, this study analyzed all patients with HOCM who were hospitalized for ASA or SM in a nationwide inpatient database in Germany between January 1, 2006, through December 31, 2019. Rates of adverse in-hospital events (in-hospital mortality, need for permanent pacemaker) were examined. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to compare overall outcomes after each procedure based on tertiles of hospital volumes of ASA and SM. Results A total of 8,514 patients underwent SRT, of whom 5,293 (62.2%) underwent ASA and 3,221 (37.8%) SM. Annual numbers for SM and ASA steadily increased over time: ASA procedures increased from 329 in 2006 to 451 in 2019 and SM procedures increased from 191 in 2006 to 222 in 2019, respectively. Patients with SM were older (mean 67.4 vs. 60.2 years), less likely female (56.4% vs. 49.9%), and had a higher burden of comorbidities (e.g., diabetes, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, chronic kidney disease) compared to patients with ASA. Over an observational period of 14 years, the majority of both ASA and SM procedures were performed at hospitals in the lowest volume category (≤20 procedures). The overall in-hospital mortality was higher in patients with SM (6.8%) compared to patients with ASA (0.8%), whereas the need for pacemaker implantation was more often observed in patients with ASA (19.3% vs. 13.1%; p<0.001). The lowest tertile of SM volume among hospitals was independently associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio (lowest vs. highest tertile), 2.64; 95% confidence interval, 1.49-4.66), whereas being in the lowest vs. the highest tertile of ASA by volume was not independently associated with risk of in-hospital mortality and adverse events. Conclusion In this contemporary cohort with more than 8,500 cases of SRT between 2006 and 2019, the majority of SRT was performed at centers with a low volume of SM and ASA procedures. Low SM volume was independently associated with increased in-hospital mortality, whereas low ASA volume was not associated with adverse outcomes. Our findings may help to further understand how institutional SRT procedural volumes affects outcomes and might encourage referral of patients with HOCM to centers of excellence for SRT.

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Catheter ablation is the most effective rhythm control treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF). While it was indicated as a symptomatic treatment in the past years, prognostic benefits of early rhythm control (ERC) were recently demonstrated and catheter ablation advances more and more into this indication. Restrictions in patient selection for catheter ablation seem to melt. Only few data on comorbidity burden in patients undergoing AF ablation is available. Purpose To determine prevalence of common cardiovascular and related comorbidities in patients undergoing left-atrial (LA) procedures between 2010 and 2021 at a large tertiary-care ablation center.. Method Eligible cases with LA procedures were identified through analysis of coded OPS data between 2010 and 2021. Analysis included patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing an ablation procedure including a transseptal puncture and mapping in the left atrium, not for other supraventricular tachycardias. Analysis accounted for different versions of the ICD-10-GM and OPS-ICHI catalogues. Comorbidities were defined as derived variables on a case-wise analysis from documented ICD-10 and OPS codes. CHA2DS2-VASc-score was calculated from these derived variables and demographic parameters. Procedures were clustered by intervention year in one of following ranges 2010-2012, 2013-2015, 2016-2018 and 2019-2021. Results 8396 left atrial procedures in 6184 individual patients (35% female, 63.6±11.0 years old at index procedure) were identified. Median CHA2DS2-VASc was 2 (IQR 1;3) in the overall cohort. Mean age increased constantly from 60.3±11.4 years in 2011 to 64.5±11.1 years in 2021. Median CHA2DS2-VASc-score remained constant at 2 points. While the share of non-paroxysmal AF patients was 52% between 2010 and 2012, it increased to 59% in 2016-2018 and decreased again to 55% in 2019-2021. The relative number of cases in which patients suffered from diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), pulmonary hypertension, coronary artery disease and prior myocardial infarction increased constantly between 2010-2012. While the share of patients with heart failure was highest between 2013 and 2015 (1368/2117 cases, 65%), it decreased to 833/2318 cases (36%) in 2019-2021. the absolute number of procedures nearly doubled from 2010-2012 to 2013-2015, it increased by only 36% from range 2013-2015 to 2016-2018. The number of procedures decreased again from 2016-2018 to 2019-2021 by 19%, likely due to COVID19-pandemic restrictions. Conclusion Over the last decade, the age and number of comorbidities increased in patients undergoing AF ablation procedures. These results put emphasis on offering safe procedures and perform adequate pre-procedural assessment of comorbidity burden.

Abstract Background Ischemic stroke after coronary angiography is a life-threatening complication, leading to high mortality and long-term sequelae in surviving patients. Contemporary data from a European nationwide perspective are however lacking. Purpose We aimed to investigate the incidence, temporal trends, and outcome of ischemic stroke complicating coronary angiography in a German nationwide cohort. Methods A retrospective analysis of healthcare records from 2006–2020 based on ICD-10 and OPS codes obtained from the German Federal Statistical Office was carried out. Patients ≥18 years of age hospitalized for coronary angiography (both diagnostic and percutaneous interventions) were included in this analysis. Ischemic stroke events as well as co-morbidities were identified using ICD-10 and OPS codes. The outcome of interest was in-hospital mortality. Multivariable logistic regressions were computed for the association of ischemic stroke with in-hospital mortality adjusting for age, gender, hypertension, hyperlipoproteinemia, and diabetes mellitus. Results Overall 5,098,751 cases of patients undergoing coronary angiography (mean age 68.7±11.4 years; 28.0% female) between 2006 and 2020 were included. Ischemic stroke occurred in 3,808 (0.07%) patients. In comparison, individuals who suffered from peri-interventional ischemic stroke were older (70.8±11.1 vs. 68.7±11.4; p<0.001), more likely female (33.4% vs. 27.9%; p<0.001), and differed significantly according to their clinical characteristics (see Table 1). Patients with ischemic stroke had a significantly longer in-hospital stay (18.3±15.5 vs. 6.4±8.0 days; p<0.001), and higher rates of in-hospital mortality (18.0% vs. 3.2%; p<0.001) compared to patients without ischemic stroke. After multivariable adjustment, ischemic stroke remained independently associated with a higher risk of in-hospital mortality with an Odds ratio of 6.5 (95% Confidence Interval: 5.9, 7.1; p<0.001). Also, incidence of peri-interventional stroke increased gradually from 0.03% in 2006 to 0.12% in 2020 (see Figure 1). Conclusion In a contemporary nationwide cohort of patients hospitalized for coronary angiography spanning 15 years, the incidence of ischemic stroke remained low, although a gradual increase from 2006 to 2020 was documented. The occurrence of ischemic stroke was independently associated with a markedly increased risk of in-hospital mortality. These findings might be helpful in evaluating patients undergoing coronary angiography and to reduce the high mortality and morbidity associated with this complication in future. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.