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There are controversies regarding the impact of sex on mortality and postoperative complications in patients undergoing on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), although some studies demonstrate comparable outcomes. This study sought to evaluate sex differences regarding risk factors associated with hospital mortality and postoperative clinical outcomes among patients undergoing isolated on-pump CABG. We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study of patients who underwent isolated on-pump CABG from January 1996 to January 2020. Patients were divided into two groups (male and female) and compared regarding preoperative characteristics, surgical technical variables, and in-hospital outcomes. All-cause mortality between groups was compared using logistic regression. Risk factors for mortality, along with their respective odds ratios (OR), were separately assessed using a logistic regression model with p-values for interaction. We analyzed 4,882 patients, of whom 31.6% were female. Women exhibited a higher prevalence of age >75 years (12.2% vs 8.3%, p<0.001), obesity (22.6% vs 11.5%, p<0.001), diabetes (41.6% vs 32.2%, p<0.001), hypertension (85.2% vs 73.5%, p<0.001), and NYHA functional classes 3 and 4 (16.2% vs 11.2%, p<0.001) compared to men. Use of the mammary artery for revascularization was less frequent among women (73.8% vs 79.9%, p<0.001), who also received fewer saphenous vein grafts (2.17 vs 2.27, p = 0.002). A history of previous or recent myocardial infarction (MI) had an impact on women’s mortality, unlike in men (OR 1.61 vs 0.94, p = 0.014; OR 1.86 vs 0.99, p = 0.015, respectively). After adjusting for several risk factors, mortality was found to be comparable between men and women, with an OR of 1.20 (95% CI 0.94–1.53, p = 0.129). In conclusion, female patients undergoing isolated on-pump CABG presented with a higher number of comorbidities. Previous and recent MI were associated with higher mortality only in women. In this cohort analysis, female gender was not identified as an independent risk factor for outcome after CABG.

Implantable cardiac pacing systems are a safe and effective treatment for symptomatic irreversible bradycardia. Under the proper indications, cardiac pacing might bring significant clinical benefit. Evidences from literature state that the action of the artificial pacing system, mainly when the ventricular lead is located at the apex of the right ventricle, produces negative effects to cardiac structure (remodeling, dilatation) and function (dissinchrony). Patients with previously compromised left ventricular function would benefit the least with conventional right ventricle apical pacing, and are exposed to the risk of developing higher incidence of morbidity and mortality for heart failure. However, after almost 6 decades of cardiac pacing, just a reduced portion of patients in general would develop these alterations. In this context, there are not completely clear some issues related to cardiac pacing and the development of this cardiomyopathy. Causality relationships among QRS widening with a left bundle branch block morphology, contractility alterations within the left ventricle, and certain substrates or clinical (previous systolic dysfunction, structural heart disease, time from implant) or electrical conditions (QRS duration, percentage of ventricular stimulation) are still subjecte of debate. This review analyses contemporary data regarding this new entity, and discusses alternatives of how to use cardiac pacing in this context, emphasizing cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Introduction: Disturbances of the cardiac conduction system are frequent in the postoperative period of coronary artery bypass surgery. They are mostly reversible and associated with some injury of the conduction tissue, caused by the ischemic heart disease itself or by perioperative factors. Objective: Primary: investigate the association between perioperative factors and the emergence of atrioventricular block in the postoperative period of coronary artery bypass surgery. Secondary: determine the need for temporary pacing and of a permanent pacemaker in the postoperative period of coronary artery bypass surgery and the impact on hospital stay and hospital mortality. Methods: Analysis of a retrospective cohort of patients submitted to coronary artery bypass surgery from the database of the Postoperative Heart Surgery Unit of the Sao Lucas Hospital of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, using the logistic regression method. Results: In the period from January 1996 to December 2012, 3532 coronary artery bypass surgery were carried out. Two hundred and eighty-eight (8.15% of the total sample) patients had atrioventricular block during the postoperative period of coronary artery bypass surgery, requiring temporary pacing. Eight of those who had atrioventricular block progressed to implantation of a permanent pacemaker (0.23% of the total sample). Multivariate analysis revealed a significant association of atrioventricular block with age above 60 years (OR=2.34; CI 95% 1.75-3.12; P<0.0001), female gender (OR=1.37; CI 95% 1.06-1.77; P=0.015), chronic kidney disease (OR=2.05; CI 95% 1.49-2.81; P<0.0001), atrial fibrillation (OR=2.06; CI 95% 1.16-3.66; P=0.014), functional class III and IV of the New York Heart Association (OR=1.43; CI 95% 1.03-1.98; P=0.031), perioperative acute myocardial infarction (OR=1.70; CI 95% 1.26-2.29; P<0.0001) and with the use of the intra-aortic balloon in the postoperative period of coronary artery bypass surgery (OR=1.92; CI 95% 1.21-3.05; P=0.006). The presence of atrioventricular block resulted in a significant increase in mortality (17.9% vs. 7.3% in those who did not develop atrioventricular block) (OR=2.09; CI 95% 1.46-2.99; P<0.0001) and a longer hospital stay (12.75 days x 10.53 days for those who didn't develop atrioventricular block) (OR=1.01; CI 95% 1.00-1.02; P=0.01). Conclusions: In most cases, atrioventricular block in the postoperative period of coronary artery bypass surgery is transient and associated with several perioperative factors: age above 60 years, female sex, chronic kidney disease, atrial fibrillation, New York Heart Association functional class III or IV, perioperative acute myocardial infarction and use of an intra-aortic balloon. Its occurrence prolongs hospitalization and, above all, doubles the risk of mortality.

Os dispositivos implantáveis de estimulaçao cardíaca artificial (marcapasso definitivo, cardiodesfibrilador e terapia de estimulaçao multissítio para ressincronizaçao cardíaca) têm benefícios bem estabelecidos e indicaçoes em expansao. Diversos estudos e publicaçoes têm demonstrado que a estimulaçao cardíaca artificial convencional nao é isenta de efeitos adversos (dissincronia ventricular, risco de insuficiência cardíaca e mortalidade). O progresso tecnológico da eletroterapia cardíaca trouxe novos algoritmos e estratégias de programaçao dos dispositivos, particularmente os que minimizam a estimulaçao do ventrículo direito por programaçao do intervalo atrioventricular. Atualmente, tanto para portadores de marcapasso definitivo como, particularmente, para portadores de cardiodesfibrilador implantável, sao recomendadas estratégias que explorem ao máximo a conduçao atrioventricular intrínseca, quando esta é confiável, com o objetivo de produzir complexos com QRS estreito, evitando as potenciais consequências deletérias da ativaçao artificial do ventrículo direito. Esta revisao aborda as diferenças entre sequência atrioventricular e sincronia atrioventricular produzidas por esses algoritmos, e o surgimento de um outro virtual conflito de paradigmas: permitir intervalos atrioventriculares nao fisiológicos, gerando potencialmente dissincronia atrioventricular mas com QRS estreito, ou estimular artificialmente o ventrículo direito com intervalo atrioventricular fisiológico e QRS largo?

Os dispositivos implantáveis de estimulaçao cardíaca artificial (marcapasso definitivo, cardiodesfibrilador e terapia de estimulaçao multissítio para ressincronizaçao cardíaca) têm benefícios bem estabelecidos e indicaçoes em expansao. Diversos estudos e publicaçoes têm demonstrado que a estimulaçao cardíaca artificial convencional nao é isenta de efeitos adversos (dissincronia ventricular, risco de insuficiência cardíaca e mortalidade). O progresso tecnológico da eletroterapia cardíaca trouxe novos algoritmos e estratégias de programaçao dos dispositivos, particularmente os que minimizam a estimulaçao do ventrículo direito por programaçao do intervalo atrioventricular. Atualmente, tanto para portadores de marcapasso definitivo como, particularmente, para portadores de cardiodesfibrilador implantável, sao recomendadas estratégias que explorem ao máximo a conduçao atrioventricular intrínseca, quando esta é confiável, com o objetivo de produzir complexos com QRS estreito, evitando as potenciais consequências deletérias da ativaçao artificial do ventrículo direito. Esta revisao aborda as diferenças entre sequência atrioventricular e sincronia atrioventricular produzidas por esses algoritmos, e o surgimento de um outro virtual conflito de paradigmas: permitir intervalos atrioventriculares nao fisiológicos, gerando potencialmente dissincronia atrioventricular mas com QRS estreito, ou estimular artificialmente o ventrículo direito com intervalo atrioventricular fisiológico e QRS largo?

Os dispositivos implantáveis de estimulaçao cardíaca artificial (marcapasso definitivo, cardiodesfibrilador e terapia de estimulaçao multissítio para ressincronizaçao cardíaca) têm benefícios bem estabelecidos e indicaçoes em expansao. Diversos estudos e publicaçoes têm demonstrado que a estimulaçao cardíaca artificial convencional nao é isenta de efeitos adversos (dissincronia ventricular, risco de insuficiência cardíaca e mortalidade). O progresso tecnológico da eletroterapia cardíaca trouxe novos algoritmos e estratégias de programaçao dos dispositivos, particularmente os que minimizam a estimulaçao do ventrículo direito por programaçao do intervalo atrioventricular. Atualmente, tanto para portadores de marcapasso definitivo como, particularmente, para portadores de cardiodesfibrilador implantável, sao recomendadas estratégias que explorem ao máximo a conduçao atrioventricular intrínseca, quando esta é confiável, com o objetivo de produzir complexos com QRS estreito, evitando as potenciais consequências deletérias da ativaçao artificial do ventrículo direito. Esta revisao aborda as diferenças entre sequência atrioventricular e sincronia atrioventricular produzidas por esses algoritmos, e o surgimento de um outro virtual conflito de paradigmas: permitir intervalos atrioventriculares nao fisiológicos, gerando potencialmente dissincronia atrioventricular mas com QRS estreito, ou estimular artificialmente o ventrículo direito com intervalo atrioventricular fisiológico e QRS largo?