Predictive capabilities of the European registry for patients with mechanical circulatory support right-sided heart failure risk score after left ventricular assist device implantation

Objectives: The prediction of right heart failure (RHF) after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation remains a challenge. Recently, risk scores were derived from analysis of the European Registry for Patients with Mechanical Circulatory Support (EUROMACS) data, the EUROMACS-RHF, and the modified postoperative EUROMACS-RHF. The authors assessed the performance characteristics of these 2 risk score formulations in a continuous-flow LVAD cohort at their institution. Design: A retrospective, observational study. Setting: At a tertiary-care academic medical center. Participants: Adult patients who underwent durable LVAD implantation between 2015 and 2018. Interventions: None Measurements and main results: Early post-LVAD RHF was defined as follows: (1) need for right ventricular assist device, or (2) inotropic or inhaled pulmonary vasodilator support for >= 14 postoperative days. The authors used logistic regression and examined receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to evaluate the ability of the 2 risk scores to distinguish between outcome groups. A total of 207 patients met the inclusion criteria. Of the patients, 16% developed RHF (33/207). The EUROMACS-RHF score was not predictive of RHF in the authors' cohort (odds ratio [OR] 1.25; 95% CI [0.99-1.60]; p = 0.06), but the postoperative EUROMACS-RHF CPB score was significantly associated (OR 1.38; 95% CI [1.03-1.89]; p = 0.03). The scores had similar ROC curves, with weak discriminatory performance: 0.601 (95% CI [0.509-0.692]) and 0.599 (95% CI [0.505-0.693]) for EUROMACS-RHF and postoperative EUROMACS-RHF, respectively. Conclusions: In the authors' single-center retrospective analysis, the EUROMACS-RHF risk score did not predict early RHF. An optimized risk score for the prediction of RHF after LVAD implantation remains an urgent unmet need. (c) 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.