Association of Digoxin With Preserved Echocardiographic Indices in the Interstage Period: A Possible Mechanism to Explain Improved Survival?

Background For patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, digoxin has been associated with reduced interstage mortality after the Norwood operation, but the mechanism of this benefit remains unclear. Preservation of right ventricular (RV) echocardiographic indices has been associated with better...

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Main Authors: Maria Batsis, Lazaros Kochilas, Alvin J. Chin, Michael Kelleman, Eric Ferguson, Matthew E. Oster
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-12-01
Series:Journal of the American Heart Association: Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.121.021443
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author Maria Batsis
Lazaros Kochilas
Alvin J. Chin
Michael Kelleman
Eric Ferguson
Matthew E. Oster
author_facet Maria Batsis
Lazaros Kochilas
Alvin J. Chin
Michael Kelleman
Eric Ferguson
Matthew E. Oster
author_sort Maria Batsis
collection DOAJ
description Background For patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, digoxin has been associated with reduced interstage mortality after the Norwood operation, but the mechanism of this benefit remains unclear. Preservation of right ventricular (RV) echocardiographic indices has been associated with better outcomes in hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Therefore, we sought to determine whether digoxin use is associated with preservation of the RV indices in the interstage period. Methods and Results We conducted a retrospective cohort study of prospectively collected data using the public use data set from the Pediatric Heart Network Single Ventricle Reconstruction trial, conducted in 15 North American centers between 2005 and 2008. We included all patients who survived the interstage period and had echocardiographic data post‐Norwood and pre‐Glenn operations. We used multivariable linear regression to compare changes in RV parameters, adjusting for relevant covariates. Of 289 patients, 94 received digoxin at discharge post‐Norwood. There were no significant differences in baseline clinical characteristics or post‐Norwood echocardiographic RV indices (RV end‐diastolic volume indexed, RV end‐systolic volume indexed, ejection fraction) in the digoxin versus no‐digoxin groups. At the end of the interstage period and after adjustment for relevant covariates, patients on digoxin had better preserved RV indices compared with those not on digoxin for the ΔRV end‐diastolic volume (11 versus 15 mL, P=0.026) and the ΔRV end‐systolic volume (6 versus 9 mL, P=0.009) with the indexed ΔRV end‐systolic volume (11 versus 20 mL/BSA1.3, P=0.034). The change in the RV ejection fraction during the interstage period between the 2 groups did not meet statistical significance (−2 versus −5, P=0.056); however, the trend continued to be favorable for the digoxin group. Conclusions Digoxin use during the interstage period is associated with better preservation of the RV volume and tricuspid valve measurements leading to less adverse remodeling of the single ventricle. These findings suggest a possible mechanism of action explaining digoxin’s survival benefit during the interstage period.
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spelling doaj.art-7452b513c69b4499ab674872c28c5bd02023-01-26T10:36:40ZengWileyJournal of the American Heart Association: Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease2047-99802021-12-01102310.1161/JAHA.121.021443Association of Digoxin With Preserved Echocardiographic Indices in the Interstage Period: A Possible Mechanism to Explain Improved Survival?Maria Batsis0Lazaros Kochilas1Alvin J. Chin2Michael Kelleman3Eric Ferguson4Matthew E. Oster5Sibley Heart Center Cardiology Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Atlanta GASibley Heart Center Cardiology Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Atlanta GADepartment of Pediatrics Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia PADepartment of Pediatrics Emory University School of Medicine Atlanta GASibley Heart Center Cardiology Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Atlanta GASibley Heart Center Cardiology Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Atlanta GABackground For patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, digoxin has been associated with reduced interstage mortality after the Norwood operation, but the mechanism of this benefit remains unclear. Preservation of right ventricular (RV) echocardiographic indices has been associated with better outcomes in hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Therefore, we sought to determine whether digoxin use is associated with preservation of the RV indices in the interstage period. Methods and Results We conducted a retrospective cohort study of prospectively collected data using the public use data set from the Pediatric Heart Network Single Ventricle Reconstruction trial, conducted in 15 North American centers between 2005 and 2008. We included all patients who survived the interstage period and had echocardiographic data post‐Norwood and pre‐Glenn operations. We used multivariable linear regression to compare changes in RV parameters, adjusting for relevant covariates. Of 289 patients, 94 received digoxin at discharge post‐Norwood. There were no significant differences in baseline clinical characteristics or post‐Norwood echocardiographic RV indices (RV end‐diastolic volume indexed, RV end‐systolic volume indexed, ejection fraction) in the digoxin versus no‐digoxin groups. At the end of the interstage period and after adjustment for relevant covariates, patients on digoxin had better preserved RV indices compared with those not on digoxin for the ΔRV end‐diastolic volume (11 versus 15 mL, P=0.026) and the ΔRV end‐systolic volume (6 versus 9 mL, P=0.009) with the indexed ΔRV end‐systolic volume (11 versus 20 mL/BSA1.3, P=0.034). The change in the RV ejection fraction during the interstage period between the 2 groups did not meet statistical significance (−2 versus −5, P=0.056); however, the trend continued to be favorable for the digoxin group. Conclusions Digoxin use during the interstage period is associated with better preservation of the RV volume and tricuspid valve measurements leading to less adverse remodeling of the single ventricle. These findings suggest a possible mechanism of action explaining digoxin’s survival benefit during the interstage period.https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.121.021443congenital heart diseasedigoxinhypoplastic left heart syndromeinterstageright ventricular echocardiographyright ventricular volume
spellingShingle Maria Batsis
Lazaros Kochilas
Alvin J. Chin
Michael Kelleman
Eric Ferguson
Matthew E. Oster
Association of Digoxin With Preserved Echocardiographic Indices in the Interstage Period: A Possible Mechanism to Explain Improved Survival?
Journal of the American Heart Association: Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease
congenital heart disease
digoxin
hypoplastic left heart syndrome
interstage
right ventricular echocardiography
right ventricular volume
title Association of Digoxin With Preserved Echocardiographic Indices in the Interstage Period: A Possible Mechanism to Explain Improved Survival?
title_full Association of Digoxin With Preserved Echocardiographic Indices in the Interstage Period: A Possible Mechanism to Explain Improved Survival?
title_fullStr Association of Digoxin With Preserved Echocardiographic Indices in the Interstage Period: A Possible Mechanism to Explain Improved Survival?
title_full_unstemmed Association of Digoxin With Preserved Echocardiographic Indices in the Interstage Period: A Possible Mechanism to Explain Improved Survival?
title_short Association of Digoxin With Preserved Echocardiographic Indices in the Interstage Period: A Possible Mechanism to Explain Improved Survival?
title_sort association of digoxin with preserved echocardiographic indices in the interstage period a possible mechanism to explain improved survival
topic congenital heart disease
digoxin
hypoplastic left heart syndrome
interstage
right ventricular echocardiography
right ventricular volume
url https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.121.021443
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