Implementation of a longitudinal, near-peer ECG didactic curriculum in an internal medicine residency program and impact on ECG interpretation skills.

BACKGROUND: To determine the impact of a longitudinal, near-peer, dedicated ECG didactic curriculum on internal medicine resident ability to accurately interpret ECGs. METHODS: This study employs a prospective cohort design. Internal medicine residents at University at Buffalo participated in monthly ECG didactic sessions over a 7-month period. Residents were invited to complete pre- and post-curriculum questionnaires. Responses were anonymous and participation voluntary. Data collected included basic demographics, career interest, exposure to clinical cardiology, and number of sessions attended. Residents were asked to interpret sixteen unique ECGs, divided evenly among eight common rhythms into both questionnaires. Pre- and post-curriculum cohorts were compared using t-tests and chi-square analyses. Associations between attendance, comfort level in interpretation, and number of correct interpretations were analyzed using Pearson correlations. Multivariate linear regression determined the strongest predictor of the number of correct ECG interpretations. RESULTS: The post-curriculum cohort correctly interpreted a significantly greater percentage of ECGs compared to pre-curriculum cohort (74.5% vs. 60.9%, p < .001). Didactic attendance was significantly associated with comfort level in interpreting ECGs (r = .328, p = .018) and trended towards an increased number of correct interpretations (r = .248, p = .077). Residents who attended three or more sessions demonstrated increased ECG interpretation skills compared to those who attended two or fewer sessions (80.0% vs. 71.1%, p = .048). Number of clinical cardiology rotations attended was significantly associated with correct interpretations (r = .310, p < .001) and was the strongest predictor of accurately interpreting ECGs (ß = 0.29, p = .037). CONCLUSIONS: Participation in a longitudinal, near-peer ECG didactic curriculum improved resident ability to interpret ECGs. A curriculum which contains both didactic sessions and clinical exposure may offer the greatest benefit in improving ECG interpretation skills.

Galectin-3 Is Associated with Cardiac Fibrosis and an Increased Risk of Sudden Death.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial fibrosis is a common postmortem finding among individuals with Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD). Numerous in vivo and in vitro studies have shown that increased galectin-3 (gal3) expression into the myocardium is associated with higher incidence of fibrosis. Although elevated gal3 expression is linked with myocardial fibrosis, its role in predicting the risk of SCD is unknown. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical datasets and post-mortem examination of 221 subjects who had died suddenly. We examined myocardial pathology including the extent of cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, and the degree of coronary atherosclerosis in these subjects. In a select group of SCD subjects, we studied myocardial gal3 and periostin expression using immunohistochemistry. To further examine if a higher level of circulating gal3 can be detected preceding sudden death, we measured serum gal3 in a porcine model of subtotal coronary artery ligation which shows an increased tendency to develop lethal cardiac arrhythmias, including ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation. RESULTS: Of the total 1314 human subjects screened, 12.7% had SCD. Comparison of age-matched SCD with non-SCD subjects showed that SCD groups had excessive myocardial fibrosis involving both the left ventricular free wall and interventricular septum. In pigs with subtotal coronary artery ligation and SCD, we detected significantly elevated circulating gal3 levels approximately 10 days preceding the SCD event. Immunohistochemistry showed increased myocardial gal3 and periostin expression in pigs that died suddenly, compared to the controls. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that increased gal3 is associated with a higher risk of myocardial fibrosis and the risk of SCD. This supports the importance of larger translational studies to target gal3 to prevent cardiac fibrosis and attenuate the risk of SCD.

Neural Net Modeling of Checkpoint Inhibitor Related Myocarditis and Steroid Response.

Background: Serious but rare side effects associated with immunotherapy pose a difficult problem for regulators and practitioners. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have come into widespread use in oncology in recent years and are associated with rare cardiotoxicity, including potentially fatal myocarditis. To date, no comprehensive model of myocarditis progression and outcomes integrating time-series based laboratory and clinical signals has been constructed. In this paper, we describe a time-series neural net (NN) model of ICI-related myocarditis derived using supervised machine learning. Methods: We extracted and modeled data from electronic medical records of ICI-treated patients who had an elevation in their troponin. All data collection was performed using an electronic case report form, with approximately 300 variables collected on as many occasions as available, yielding 6000 data elements per patient over their clinical course. Key variables were scored 0-5 and sequential assessments were used to construct the model. The NN model was developed in MatLab and applied to analyze the time course and outcomes of treatments. Results: We identified 23 patients who had troponin elevations related to their ICI therapy, 15 of whom had ICI-related myocarditis, while the remaining 8 patients on ICIs had other causes for troponin elevation, such as myocardial infarction. Our model showed that troponin was the most predictive biomarker of myocarditis, in line with prior studies. Our model also identified early and aggressive use of steroid treatment as a major determinant of survival for cases of grade 3 or 4 ICI-related myocarditis. Conclusion: Our study shows that a supervised learning NN can be used to model rare events such as ICI-related myocarditis and thus provide clinical insight into drivers of progression and treatment outcomes. These findings direct attention to early detection biomarkers and clinical symptoms as the best means of implementing early and potentially life-saving steroid treatment.

Clinical characteristics, time course, treatment and outcomes of patients with immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated myocarditis.

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have emerged as a front-line therapy for a variety of solid tumors. With the widespread use of these agents, immune-associated toxicities are increasingly being recognized, including fatal myocarditis. There are limited data on the outcomes and prognostic utility of biomarkers associated with ICI-associated myocarditis. Our objective was to examine the associations between clinical biomarkers of cardiomyocyte damage and mortality in patients with cancer treated with ICIs. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 23 patients who developed symptomatic and asymptomatic troponin elevations while receiving ICI therapy at a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. We obtained serial ECGs, troponin I, and creatine kinase-MD (CK-MB), in addition to other conventional clinical biomarkers, and compared covariates between survivors and non-survivors. RESULTS: Among patients with myocarditis, higher troponin I (p=0.037) and CK-MB (p=0.034) levels on presentation correlated with progression to severe myocarditis. Higher troponin I (p=0.016), CK (p=0.013), and CK-MB (p=0.034) levels were associated with increased mortality, while the presence of advanced atrioventricular block on presentation (p=0.088) trended toward increased mortality. Weekly troponin monitoring lead to earlier hospitalization for potential myocarditis (p=0.022) and was associated with decreased time to steroid initiation (p=0.053) and improved outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Routine troponin surveillance may be helpful in predicting mortality in ICI-treated patients with cancer in the early phase of ICI therapy initiation. Early detection of troponin elevation is associated with earlier intervention and improved outcomes in ICI-associated myocarditis. The recommended assessment and diagnostic studies guiding treatment decisions are presented.

Coronary revascularization in patients with stable coronary disease and diabetes mellitus.

PURPOSE OF STUDY: Diabetes mellitus accelerates the development of atherosclerosis. Patients with diabetes mellitus have higher incidence and mortality rates from cardiovascular disease and undergo a disproportionately higher number of coronary interventions compared to the general population. Proper selection of treatment modalities is thus paramount. Treatment strategies include medical management and interventional approaches including coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery and percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). The purpose of this review is to assimilate emerging evidence comparing CABG to PCI in patients with diabetes and present an outlook on the latest advances in percutaneous interventions, in addition to the optimal medical therapies in patients with diabetes. KEY METHODS: A systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science and EMBASE was performed to identify prospective, randomized trials comparing outcomes of CABG and PCI, and also PCI with different generations of stents used in patients with diabetes. Additional review of bibliography of selected studies was also performed. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Most of the trials discussed above demonstrate a survival advantage of CABG over PCI in patients with diabetes. However, recent advances in PCI technology are starting to challenge this narrative. Superior stent designs, use of specific drug-eluting stents, image-guided stent deployment, and the use of contemporary antiplatelet and lipid-lowering therapies are continuing to improve the PCI outcomes. Prospective data for such emerging interventional technologies in diabetes is however lacking currently and is the need of the hour.

Uncommon Coronary Abnormalities in a Patient with Discoid Lupus Erythematosus.

A 43-year-old male presented with shortness of breath and palpitations. Physical examination was significant for skin lichenification, an erythematous maculopapular rash with annular plaques, a fissured tongue, and digital clubbing. Electrocardiogram captured a supraventricular tachycardia and right bundle branch block. Left heart catheterization found several proximal left coronary artery branch aneurysms, a right coronary-pulmonary artery fistula, venous-luminal vessels between the right heart chambers and cardiac veins, and thebesian venous lakes. Functional cardiac capacity was reduced, with left ventricular ejection fraction of 35 to 40%, on ventriculogram. A diagnosis of discoid lupus erythematosus was established after skin biopsies revealed systemic lupus erythematosus-like features but negative anti-nuclear, anti-Smith, anti-ds-deoxyribonucleic acid, anti-Ro, and anti-La antibodies. The case reported is unique, in that while our patient had pathologic electrophysiologic changes typically seen with autoimmune disease, the patient had many anatomical cardiac anomalies without atherosclerotic coronary disease. It is uncertain whether these findings are purely incidental or are related to an underlying genetic disorder.

Evaluation of YouTube as a reliable source for patient education on aortic valve stenosis.

BACKGROUND: Aortic stenosis (AS) is a prevalent disease in the elderly population and has been a public health concern for decades. YouTube is currently being used for obtaining healthcare related information. We evaluated the quality of information about AS on YouTube for patient education. METHODS: YouTube was queried for the search phrases "aortic valve stenosis", "aortic valve replacement", "transcatheter aortic valve replacement" and "TAVR". Videos were assessed for their reliability and content with two five-point scales. They were categorized into groups according to usefulness and uploader source. All videos were assessed for audience interaction. Videos were viewed and analyzed by 2 independent investigators. Conflicts were resolved by a third investigator. RESULTS: Search phrases yielded 69,300 videos, among which, 120 videos were evaluated and 85 videos were included in the final analysis. Of the 85 videos, only 45 videos (53%) were found to be useful while 40 videos (47%) were found to be non-useful. The majority (98%) of the useful videos were uploaded by professional sources. Overall, videos uploaded by non-professional sources had higher number of views (23,553 vs. 11,110, P≤0.001) despite of being less useful (14% vs. 67%, P<0.001) when compared to videos uploaded by professional sources. CONCLUSIONS: There is a potential to increase public awareness about aortic valve stenosis and the available treatment options by utilizing YouTube. Professional societies are encouraged to provide more useful material that can deliver comprehensive and reliable information in an entertaining and intuitive manner to the public.

Successful percutaneous treatment of a large coronary artery pseudoaneurysm with a covered stent graft.

With exponential rise in percutaneous treatments of coronary disease in the last two decades, pseudoaneurysms of coronary vessels have been described, often as a consequence of previous coronary interventions. Nevertheless, pseudoaneurysms are still rarely encountered in clinical practice (0.3-6%) and pose a great challenge when it comes to management of this clinical entity. Our case not only highlights the rarity of pseudoaneurysms but also educates clinicians through these imaging series about the existence of successful percutaneous therapeutic approaches in such patient population, such as covered stent grafts as portrayed in this case. To our knowledge, this is the first case of a covered stent graft use in coronary pseudoaneurysm unrelated to previous coronary intervention.

Aortic Paravalvular Leak Repair: Can TAVR Be the Answer?

A 71-year-old male with endocarditis mediated severe paravalvular leak and nonischemic cardiomyopathy underwent percutaneous repair attempts with a closure device followed by valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic replacement procedure. The case was complicated by cardiac arrest requiring hemodynamic support with Impella placement and secondary iatrogenic central aortic insufficiency requiring further intervention. (Level of Difficulty: Beginner.).

Updates on the Role of Imaging in Cardiac Sarcoidosis.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The non-specific symptom profile and subclinical nature of disease along with variable region of cardiac involvement in systemic sarcoidosis make the diagnosis particularly challenging. The yield of endomyocardial biopsy, a gold standard for diagnosis, is not high unless coupled with additional imaging modalities to detect regional involvement. This review is focused on highlighting the major recent advances in imaging modalities and diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis. RECENT FINDINGS: There has been much interest and increasing research focused on developing newer and improved imaging modalities to establish diagnosis. CMR and 18F- FDG-PET are now considered imaging modalities of choice in most centers worldwide, but the data comparing both methodologies head-to-head is limited. Nevertheless, novel radiotracers (i.e. 68Ga-DOTANOC, 18F-Flurpiridaz, 13N-Ammonia) and hybrid combination PET/CMR imaging are coming to spotlight with improved sensitivity and specificity for earlier detection of myocardial sarcoid. As CMR and PET are showing increased utilization in cardiac sarcoidosis, 201Th-SPECT, 99mTc MDP SPECT, 67Ga Scintigraphy, and 82Rb PET are falling out of favor. Newer imaging modalities, radionuclide tracers, and hybrid PET/CMR combinations have been promising in better detecting cardiac sarcoidosis and are currently being evaluated in larger trials.

Serum Uric Acid and Atrial Fibrillation: Meta-analysis.

Hyperuricemia has been recently speculated to be associated with the development of atrial fibrillation (AF). A meta-analysis of observational studies was conducted to explore the relationship between serum uric acid (SUA) and AF. We searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL databases and performed extensive bibliography search to identify studies with mean SUA level for patients with and without AF. Key search terms were "atrial fibrillation" and "uric acid." Under the random-effects model, the pooled standardized difference in means between patients with and without AF was calculated. A total of 24 studies with 30,609 patients were included for quantitative analyzation of the difference in SUA levels between the patients with and without AF. The SUA level of patients with atrial AF was found to be significantly higher compared with those without AF (standardized difference in means = 0.66; 95% confidence interval, 0.43-0.88; P < 0.0001). The mean SUA level of patients with AF significantly is higher than those without AF.

Cardiac Sarcoidosis: A Review of Contemporary Challenges in Diagnosis and Treatment.

Sarcoidosis is a systemic disease characterized by noncaseating granulomas and is often a diagnosis of exclusion. The actual prevalence of cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) is unknown, as studies have demonstrated mixed data. CS may be asymptomatic and is likely more frequently encountered than previously thought. Sudden death may often be the presenting feature of CS. Most deaths attributed to CS are caused by arrhythmias or conduction system disease, and congestive heart failure may occur. Current expert consensus on diagnosis of CS continues to rely on endomyocardial biopsy, in the absence of which, histologic proof of extracardiac sarcoid involvement is necessitated. Emergence of newer noninvasive imaging modalities such as cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography, have become increasingly popular tools utilized in patients with both clinical and asymptomatic CS, and have demonstrated good diagnostic capability. The main therapeutic approaches in patients with CS can be broadly divided into the following 2 categories: pharmacological management and invasive or device oriented. However, much remains unknown about the optimal screening protocols of asymptomatic patients with extracardiac sarcoidosis and treatment of biopsy-proven CS. Our knowledge about CS has amplified significantly over the last 30 years and the growing realization that this process is often asymptomatic is paving the way for better screening protocols and earlier detection of this serious condition.

Ventilator-dependent pulmonary nocardiosis in a patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Nocardiosis is a rare infectious disease entity that mostly affects the lungs, brain, or skin of immunocompromised individuals. Recent reports of pulmonary nocardiosis (PN) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as the only risk factor suggest a possible association between nocardiosis and COPD. Herein, we present a case of ventilator-dependent PN in a patient with a moderate degree of COPD. A high level of suspicion for PN should be maintained when encountered with COPD patients complaining of symptoms of pneumonia and excessive thirst.

Spontaneous ventricular thrombosis in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease is closely associated with an increased risk for thrombotic events. Thrombosis mostly occurs in the extremities, lungs, and liver; but it can also occur in the ventricles of the heart. The primary goal of this article is to increase awareness of the risk for ventricular thrombosis in this patient population among healthcare professionals and, thus, appropriate prompt use of thromboprophylaxis therapy for these patients during acute flare-ups. Early diagnosis and intervention are critical for ventricular thrombosis to prevent systemic embolisation of the thrombus. Concisely, inflammatory bowel disease predisposes to the development of thrombi. A low threshold for the use of imaging studies to detect such thrombi is warranted.

A meta-analysis on the correlation between admission hyperglycemia and myocardial infarct size on CMRI.

AIMS: The aim was to compare the size of the myocardial infarct detected on cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) between patients with and without admission hyperglycemia after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS: Studies were identified by searching on MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL databases. A systematic review was conducted by two independent reviewers. Microvascular obstruction (MVO) and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) were pooled from available studies to calculate the standardized mean difference (SMD) in post-MI infarct size between patients with and without hyperglycemia at admission. RESULTS: The systematic review yielded 5 studies with MCR data for patients with and without admission hyperglycemia. The total number of patients included in this study was 911. A statistically significant difference was detected in MVO between patients with and without admission hyperglycemia (SMD = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.11, 1.47, P < 0.00001). The difference in LGE between patients with and without admission hyperglycemia was also significant (SMD = 0.57, 95% CI: -0.04, 1.18, P < 0.00001). CONCLUSION: The main finding of our analyses is that the size of myocardial infarct detected on CMR is positively correlated to admission hyperglycemia in patients with AMI. The clinical importance of this study lies in the accurate assessment of prognostic value of admission glucose, which would help clinicians in risk stratification and treatment decision-making.

Comparison of transcatheter aortic valve replacement risk score against currently accepted surgical risk models as predictors of 30-day mortality in transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

OBJECTIVES: Aim of the study was to assess the predictive capability of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Risk Score (TAVR-RS) in comparison with Society of Thoracic Surgeon-Predicted Risk of Mortality (STS PROM) and European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation II (EuroSCORE II) on 30-day mortality following TAVR. BACKGROUND: With exponentially increasing use of TAVR, a risk stratification model to accurately predict mortality risks in patients undergoing TAVR is urgently warranted. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 182 TAVRs between 2014 and 2017, 179 by transfemoral, 3 by subclavian approach. Clinical, laboratory and echocardiography variables were collected. The performance of risk models was evaluated using equivalence tests, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and area under the ROC curve (AUC). Outcome was 30-day mortality prediction. RESULTS: Observed 30-day mortality was 5.49%. TAVR-RS underestimated (4.0%) while surgical models (STS PROM and EuroSCORE II) overestimated mortality, 7.24% and 8.14%, respectively. The TAVR-RS was found to have statistically significant correlation with both individual and group mortalities. AUC was highest for TAVR-RS 0.66 (95%CI: 0.31-0.96), but no difference in 30-day mortality prediction was found in comparison with STS PROM (P = 0.06) or EuroSCORE II (P = 0.2161). CONCLUSIONS: The TAVR-RS was a better predictor of both group and individual mortality at 30 days. The outcomes were comparable on pairwise testing against surgical risk models, although TAVR-RS was on verge of significance when compared to STS PROM. This study supports the current dogma that a risk model specifically tailored for TAVR population should be implemented to obtain a better patient selection.

Oxymorphone Hydrochloride Extended-Release (OPANA®) Associated With Acute Kidney Injury in a Chronic Pain Patient: A Case Report.

Oxymorphone hydrochloride extended-release (OPANA®) is an opioid prescribed for the treatment of moderate-to-severe chronic pain. Kidney injury related to its use has not previously been reported. We present a case of a chronic pain patient with underlying chronic renal insufficiency who developed superimposed acute kidney injury when his opioid analgesic was changed from morphine sulfate extended-release to OPANA. Electron microscopy of his renal tissue revealed lamellated podocytes typically seen with drug-induced phospholipidosis.

An unusual cause of rhabdomyolysis in emergency setting: challenges of diagnosis.

Rhabdomyolysis is a rare phenomenon that may be challenging to recognize in an emergency setting. Drugs are one of the common causes. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole is a commonly used antibiotic effective in the treatment of upper and lower respiratory tract infections as well as renal, urinary, and gastrointestinal tract infections. It has variable side effects, ranging from mild symptoms of fatigue and insomnia to a potentially life-threatening Steven-Johnson syndrome and renal failure. Rhabdomyolysis is a rare complication of therapy with this drug and is commonly seen in immunocompromised patients or those with an allogenic stem cell transplant. In this article, we report a case of rhabdomyolysis in an immunocompetent patient who has undergone treatment with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and a possible drug interaction with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, with the latter acting as an aggravating factor of this complication.