N.R.P. for D.C.D. Hearts: 200 Cases Validate Method 11/02/25

Welcome to Cardiology Today – Recorded November 02, 2025. This episode summarizes 5 key cardiology studies on topics like donation after circulatory death and temperature dynamics. Key takeaway: N.R.P. for D.C.D. Hearts: 200 Cases Validate Method. Article Links: Article 1: Plasma-supplemented red cell concentrates as alternatives to whole blood in porcine ex vivo heart perfusion. (The Journal of heart and lung transplantation : the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation) Article 2: Two hundred cases of cardiac donation after circulatory death utilizing normothermic regional perfusion: The 4-year Vanderbilt experience. (The Journal of heart and lung transplantation : the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation) Article 3: Impact of right ventricular reserve function during exercise on aortic valve opening in patients with left ventricular assist device. (The Journal of heart and lung transplantation : the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation) Article 4: Temperature dynamics of donor lungs from procurement to reperfusion: Static ice versus controlled hypothermic storage. (The Journal of heart and lung transplantation : the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation) Article 5: Risk assessment models and survival in pulmonary arterial hypertension: A SPAHR analysis. (The Journal of heart and lung transplantation : the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation) Full episode page: https://podcast.explainheart.com/podcast/n-r-p-for-d-c-d-hearts-200-cases-validate-method-11-02-25/ Featured Articles Article 1: Plasma-supplemented red cell concentrates as alternatives to whole blood in porcine ex vivo heart perfusion. Journal: The Journal of heart and lung transplantation : the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation PubMed Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40490145 Summary: This study investigated alternatives to autologous whole blood for ex vivo heart perfusion, a technique aiming to expand the organ donor pool but facing logistical hurdles. Researchers compared red cell concentrate and rejuvenated red cell concentrate based perfusates against whole blood during a four-hour porcine ex vivo heart perfusion model. The study successfully assessed the impact of various perfusates on blood quality and myocardial function, establishing that plasma-supplemented red cell concentrates offer viable alternatives to whole blood. This advancement enhances the functional and logistical feasibility of ex vivo organ perfusion, which could increase donor heart availability. Article 2: Two hundred cases of cardiac donation after circulatory death utilizing normothermic regional perfusion: The 4-year Vanderbilt experience. Journal: The Journal of heart and lung transplantation : the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation PubMed Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40456427 Summary: This study presents a four-year, single high-volume center’s experience with 200 cases of cardiac donation after circulatory death heart recovery using normothermic regional perfusion. Researchers retrospectively reviewed adult patients receiving cardiac allografts recovered via thoracoabdominal normothermic regional perfusion at Vanderbilt from October 2020 to November 2024. The study successfully documented the program’s evolution, establishing the feasibility and scalability of normothermic regional perfusion in a large cohort. This comprehensive experience offers crucial insights for standardizing practice and increasing the donor heart pool by validating this method for cardiac transplantation. Article 3: Impact of right ventricular reserve function during exercise on aortic valve opening in patients with left ventricular assist device. Journal: The Journal of heart and lung transplantation : the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation PubMed Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40456426 Summary: This study investigated the relationship between right ventricular reserve function and aortic valve opening during exercise in patients with a left ventricular assist device. Researchers hypothesized that R.V. reserve function is associated with A.V. opening status, which is linked to fewer adverse events in these patients. The study successfully explored hemodynamic parameters at rest and during maximal exercise, establishing a significant association between right ventricular reserve function and aortic valve opening. This finding is crucial for optimizing patient management, offering a potential target to improve outcomes and reduce adverse events for patients with a left ventricular assist device during physical activity. Article 4: Temperature dynamics of donor lungs from procurement to reperfusion: Static ice versus controlled hypothermic storage. Journal: The Journal of heart and lung transplantation : the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation PubMed Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40118306 Summary: This study aimed to characterize the previously unstudied temperature dynamics of donor lungs during clinical lung transplantation, comparing static ice storage and controlled hypothermic storage. Researchers focused on temperature fluctuations during the cooling, preservation, and rewarming phases of ischemia-reperfusion injury. The study successfully mapped these temperature dynamics from procurement to reperfusion under both static ice storage and controlled hypothermic storage, establishing crucial baseline data. This foundational work provides essential insights into optimizing lung preservation strategies to mitigate ischemia-reperfusion injury and improve overall lung transplant outcomes. Article 5: Risk assessment models and survival in pulmonary arterial hypertension: A SPAHR analysis. Journal: The Journal of heart and lung transplantation : the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation PubMed Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39536922 Summary: analysis. This S.P.A.H.R. analysis investigated the prognostic value of multicomponent improvement (M.C.I.), a novel endpoint, alongside the European Society of Cardiology/European Respiratory Society 4-strata risk (4.S.R.) assessment, and the non-invasive French risk stratification score (F.R.S.). Researchers evaluated these models, all based on three components, for predicting survival in pulmonary arterial hypertension patients in Sweden. The study successfully established the utility of these multicomponent risk models for survival prediction in a real-world cohort. This research provides enhanced tools for clinicians, enabling more accurate risk stratification and guiding treatment decisions to improve outcomes for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Transcript Today’s date is November 02, 2025. Welcome to Cardiology Today. Here are the latest research findings. Article number one. Plasma-supplemented red cell concentrates as alternatives to whole blood in porcine ex vivo heart perfusion. This study investigated alternatives to autologous whole blood for ex vivo heart perfusion, a technique aiming to expand the organ donor pool but facing logistical hurdles. Researchers compared red cell concentrate and rejuvenated red cell concentrate based perfusates against whole blood during a four-hour porcine ex vivo heart perfusion model. The study successfully assessed the impact of various perfusates on blood quality and myocardial function, establishing that plasma-supplemented red cell concentrates offer viable alternatives to whole blood. This advancement enhances the functional and logistical feasibility of ex vivo organ perfusion, which could increase donor heart availability. Article number two. Two hundred cases of cardiac donation after circulatory death utilizing normothermic regional perfusion: The 4-year Vanderbilt experience. This study presents a four-year, single high-volume center’s experience with 200 cases of cardiac donation after circulatory death heart recovery using normothermic regional perfusion. Researchers retrospectively reviewed adult patients receiving cardiac allografts recovered via thoracoabdominal normothermic regional perfusion at Vanderbilt from October 2020 to November 2024. The study successfully documented the program’s evolution, establishing the feasibility and scalability of normothermic regional perfusion in a large cohort. This comprehensive experience offers crucial insights for standardizing practice and increasing the donor heart pool by validating this method for cardiac transplantation. Article number three. Impact of right ventricular reserve function during exercise on aortic valve opening in patients with left ventricular assist device. This study investigated the relationship between right ventricular reserve function and aortic valve opening during exercise in patients with a left ventricular assist device. Researchers hypothesized that R.V. reserve function is associated with A.V. opening status, which is linked to fewer adverse events in these patients. The study successfully explored hemodynamic parameters at rest and during maximal exercise, establishing a significant association between right ventricular reserve function and aortic valve opening. This finding is crucial for optimizing patient management, offering a potential target to improve outcomes and reduce adverse events for patients with a left ventricular assist device during physical activity. Article number four. Temperature dynamics of donor lungs from procurement to reperfusion: Static ice versus controlled hypothermic storage. This study aimed to characterize the previously unstudied temperature dynamics of donor lungs during clinical lung transplantation, comparing static ice storage and controlled hypothermic storage. Researchers focused on temperature fluctuations during the cooling, preservation, and rewarming phases of ischemia-reperfusion injury. The study successfully mapped these temperature dynamics from procurement to reperfusion under both static ice storage and controlled hypothermic storage, establishing crucial baseline data. This foundational work provides essential insights into optimizing lung preservation strategies to mitigate ischemia-reperfusion injury and improve overall lung transplant outcomes. Article number five. Risk assessment models and survival in pulmonary arterial hypertension: A S.P.A.H.R. analysis. This S.P.A.H.R. analysis investigated the prognostic value of multicomponent improvement (M.C.I.), a novel endpoint, alongside the European Society of Cardiology/European Respiratory Society 4-strata risk (4.S.R.) assessment, and the non-invasive French risk stratification score (F.R.S.). Researchers evaluated these models, all based on three components, for predicting survival in pulmonary arterial hypertension patients in Sweden. The study successfully established the utility of these multicomponent risk models for survival prediction in a real-world cohort. This research provides enhanced tools for clinicians, enabling more accurate risk stratification and guiding treatment decisions to improve outcomes for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Thank you for listening. Don’t forget to subscribe. Keywords donation after circulatory death, temperature dynamics, risk stratification, organ transplantation, organ preservation, hypothermic storage, pulmonary arterial hypertension, S.P.A.H.R., red cell concentrate, right ventricular function, whole blood, survival prediction, cardiac transplantation, multicomponent improvement, exercise hemodynamics, ischemia-reperfusion injury, lung transplantation, aortic valve, myocardial function, normothermic regional perfusion, left ventricular assist device, ex vivo heart perfusion, adverse events, organ recovery, heart allograft. About Concise summaries of cardiovascular research for professionals. Subscribe • Share • FollowThe post N.R.P. for D.C.D. Hearts: 200 Cases Validate Method 11/02/25 first appeared on Cardiology Today.