European Heart Journal Advance Access originally published online on August 31, 2009
European Heart Journal
2009 30(20):2450-2460; doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehp359
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The European cardiac resynchronization therapy survey
1 Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway
2 Institute of Internal Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
3 University of Pavia Maugeri Foundation, Pavia, Italy
4 Fondazione Cardiocentro Ticino, Lugano, Switzerland
5 University of Hull, Castle Hill Hospital, Kingston-upon-Hull, UK
6 Institut für Herzinfarktforschung Ludwigshafen an der Universität Heidelberg, Ludwigshafen, Germany
7 Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
8 University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
9 Thorax Institute, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Received 31 July 2009; revised 10 August 2009; accepted 12 August 2009; online publish-ahead-of-print 31 August 2009.
* Corresponding author. Tel: +47 97577673, Fax: +47 51519921, Email: nigussie.bogale{at}lyse.net
See page 2433 for the commentary on this article (doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehp366)
Aims: The European cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) survey is a joint initiative taken by the Heart Failure Association and the European Heart Rhythm Association of the European Society of Cardiology. The primary aim of this survey is to describe current European practice associated with CRT implantations.
Methods and results: A total of 140 centres from 13 European countries contributed data from consecutive patients successfully implanted with a CRT device with or without an ICD between November 2008 and June 2009. The total number of patients enrolled was 2438. The median age of the patients was 70 years (IQR 62–76) and 31% were 
75 years. It was found that 78% were in NYHA functional class III or IV and 22% in I or II. The mean ejection fraction was 27% ± 8 and the mean QRS duration 157 ms ± 32. The QRS duration was <120 ms in 9%. Atrial fibrillation was reported in 23%. It was found that 26% of patients had a previously implanted permanent pacemaker or ICD; 76% of procedures were performed by an electrophysiologist; 82% had an elective admission for implantation and the median duration of hospitalization was 3 days (IQR 2–7); and 73% received a CRT-D device which was more often implanted in men, younger patients, and with ischaemic aetiology. The mean QRS duration was reduced to 133 ms ± 27 (P < 0.0001) at discharge. Peri-procedural complication rates were comparable to the rates reported in randomized trials.
Conclusion: This CRT survey provides important information describing current European practice with regard to patient demographics, selection criteria, procedural routines, and status at discharge. These data should be useful for benchmarking individual patient management and national practice against wider experience.
Key Words: Cardiac resnchronization therapy (CRT) • European practice • Survey
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Related articles in EHJ:
- Current practice of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in the real world: insights from the European CRT survey
- Jan Steffel and David Hürlimann
EHJ 2009 30: 2433-2435.[Extract] [FREE Full Text]
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