Outcome of patients with cardiac amyloidosis admitted to an intensive care unit for acute heart failure.

BACKGROUND

The outcome of cardiac amyloidosis (CA) has been reported mainly in stable populations; limited data are available in patients referred for acute heart failure (AHF) to an intensive cardiac care unit (ICCU).

AIMS: To address the characteristics and outcomes of patients with confirmed CA admitted to an ICCU for AHF and then to identify the predictors of evolution to cardiogenic shock.

METHODS

All patients with CA referred to an ICCU for AHF between 2009 and 2015 were included. The clinical endpoint was 3-month death. Data from the population with cardiogenic shock, obtained in a stable haemodynamic state, were matched with data from a control group to determine predictors of evolution to cardiogenic shock.

RESULTS

Among the 421 patients followed for CA in our expert centre, 46 patients (mean age: 64±14 years; 65% light-chain [AL] CA) were referred to the ICCU for AHF (n=26 with cardiogenic shock). At 3 months, death occurred in 24 (52%) patients, mostly in the cardiogenic shock group (n=21/26, 81%). Most deaths occurred 5 days [interquartile range 3-9 days] after catecholamine infusion and 50% occurred in patients aged<65 years. The majority of deaths were reported in patients with AL CA (n=19/24, 79%). Independent variables associated with in-hospital mortality were cardiogenic shock and uraemia level. N-terminal prohormone of B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentration obtained in a stable haemodynamic state was the only predictor of short-term evolution to cardiogenic shock (odds ratio: 8.7, 95% confidence interval: 2.2-34.6), with an optimal cut-off of 4040pg/mL (sensitivity=92%; specificity=81%).

CONCLUSIONS

The study confirms the dramatic mortality associated with CA when presenting as cardiogenic shock and underlines the limited efficiency of conventional treatments. Given the rapid occurrence of death in a young population, an alternative strategy to dobutamine support should be investigated in patients with elevated NT-proBNP concentration.