Aims The EURO-ENDO registry aimed to study the management and outcomes of patients with infective endocarditis (IE). Methods and results Prospective cohort of 3116 adult patients (2470 from Europe, 646 from non-ESC countries), admitted to 156 hospitals in 40 countries between January 2016 and March 2018 with a diagnosis of IE based on ESC 2015 diagnostic criteria. Clinical, biological, microbiological, and imaging [echocardiography, computed tomography (CT) scan, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT)] data were collected. Infective endocarditis was native (NVE) in 1764 (56.6%) patients, prosthetic (PVIE) in 939 (30.1%), and device-related (CDRIE) in 308 (9.9%). Infective endocarditis was community-acquired in 2046 (65.66%) patients. Microorganisms involved were staphylococci in 1085 (44.1%) patients, oral streptococci in 304 (12.3%), enterococci in 390 (15.8%), and Streptococcus gallolyticus in 162 (6.6%). 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography was performed in 518 (16.6%) patients and presented with cardiac uptake (major criterion) in 222 (42.9%) patients, with a better sensitivity in PVIE (66.8%) than in NVE (28.0%) and CDRIE (16.3%). Embolic events occurred in 20.6% of patients, and were significantly associated with tricuspid or pulmonary IE, presence of a vegetation and Staphylococcus aureus IE. According to ESC guidelines, cardiac surgery was indicated in 2160 (69.3%) patients, but finally performed in only 1596 (73.9%) of them. In-hospital death occurred in 532 (17.1%) patients and was more frequent in PVIE. Independent predictors of mortality were Charlson index, creatinine > 2 mg/dL, congestive heart failure, vegetation length > 10 mm, cerebral complications, abscess, and failure to undertake surgery when indicated. Conclusion Infective endocarditis is still a life-threatening disease with frequent lethal outcome despite profound changes in its clinical, microbiological, imaging, and therapeutic profiles.

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BackgroundLeft ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have been used as an effective therapeutic option in patients with advanced heart failure, either as a bridge to transplantation, as destination therapy, or in some patients, as a bridge to recovery.ObjectivesThis study evaluated whether patients undergoing an LVAD bridge-to-recovery protocol can achieve cardiac and physical functional capacities equivalent to those of healthy controls.MethodsFifty-eight male patients—18 implanted with a continuous-flow LVAD, 16 patients with LVAD explanted (recovered patients), and 24 heart transplant candidates (HTx)—and 97 healthy controls performed a maximal graded cardiopulmonary exercise test with continuous measurements of respiratory gas exchange and noninvasive (rebreathing) hemodynamic data. Cardiac function was represented by peak exercise cardiac power output (mean arterial blood pressure × cardiac output) and functional capacity by peak exercise O2 consumption.ResultsAll patients demonstrated a significant exertional effort as demonstrated with the mean peak exercise respiratory exchange ratio >1.10. Peak exercise cardiac power output was significantly higher in healthy controls and explanted LVAD patients compared with other patients (healthy 5.35 ± 0.95 W; explanted 3.45 ± 0.72 W; LVAD implanted 2.37 ± 0.68 W; and HTx 1.31 ± 0.31 W; p < 0.05), as was peak O2 consumption (healthy 36.4 ± 10.3 ml/kg/min; explanted 29.8 ± 5.9 ml/kg/min; implanted 20.5 ± 4.3 ml/kg/min; and HTx 12.0 ± 2.2 ml/kg/min; p < 0.05). In the LVAD explanted group, 38% of the patients achieved peak cardiac power output and 69% achieved peak O2 consumption within the ranges of healthy controls.ConclusionsThe authors have shown that a substantial number of patients who recovered sufficiently to allow explantation of their LVAD can even achieve cardiac and physical functional capacities nearly equivalent to those of healthy controls.

Background: Surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) represents a class I indication in symptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS). However, indications for early SAVR in asymptomatic patients with severe AS and normal left ventricular function remain debated. Methods: The Aortic Valve replAcemenT versus conservative treatment in Asymptomatic seveRe aortic stenosis (AVATAR) trial is an investigator-initiated international prospective randomized controlled trial that evaluated the safety and efficacy of early SAVR in the treatment of asymptomatic patients with severe AS, according to common criteria (valve area ≤1 cm 2 with aortic jet velocity >4 m/s or a mean trans-aortic gradient ≥40 mm Hg), and with normal LV function. Negative exercise testing was mandatory for inclusion. The primary hypothesis was that early SAVR would reduce the primary composite endpoint of all-cause death, acute myocardial infarction, stroke or unplanned hospitalization for heart failure, as compared to a conservative strategy according to guidelines. The trial was designed as event-driven to reach a minimum of 35 prespecified events. The study was performed in 9 centers in 7 European countries. Results: Between June 2015 and September 2020, 157 patients (mean age 67 years, 57 % men) were randomly allocated to early surgery (n=78) or conservative treatment (n=79). Follow-up was completed in May 2021. Overall median follow-up was 32 months: 28 months in the early surgery group and 35 months in the conservative treatment group. There was a total of 39 events, 13 in early surgery and 26 in conservative treatment group. In the early surgery group, 72 patients (92.3 %) underwent SAVR with operative mortality of 1.4 %. In an intention-to-treat analysis, patients randomized to early surgery had a significantly lower incidence of primary composite endpoint than those in the conservative arm (HR 0.46, 95 % CI 0.23-0.90, p=0.02). There was no statistical difference in secondary endpoints, including all-cause mortality, first heart failure hospitalizations, major bleeding or thromboembolic complications, but trends were consistent with the primary outcome. Conclusions: In asymptomatic patients with severe AS, early surgery reduced a primary composite of all-cause death, acute myocardial infarction, stroke or unplanned hospitalization for heart failure compared with conservative treatment. This randomized trial provides preliminary support for early SAVR once AS becomes severe, regardless of symptoms.