Portraying infective endocarditis: results of multinational ID-IRI study.

Infective endocarditis is a growing problem with many shifts due to ever-increasing comorbid illnesses, invasive procedures, and increase in the elderly. We performed this multinational study to depict definite infective endocarditis. Adult patients with definite endocarditis hospitalized between January 1, 2015, and October 1, 2018, were included from 41 hospitals in 13 countries. We included microbiological features, types and severity of the disease, complications, but excluded therapeutic parameters. A total of 867 patients were included. A total of 631 (72.8%) patients had native valve endocarditis (NVE), 214 (24.7%) patients had prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE), 21 (2.4%) patients had pacemaker lead endocarditis, and 1 patient had catheter port endocarditis. Eighteen percent of NVE patients were hospital-acquired. PVE patients were classified as early-onset in 24.9%. A total of 385 (44.4%) patients had major embolic events, most frequently to the brain (n = 227, 26.3%). Blood cultures yielded pathogens in 766 (88.4%). In 101 (11.6%) patients, blood cultures were negative. Molecular testing of vegetations disclosed pathogens in 65 cases. Overall, 795 (91.7%) endocarditis patients had any identified pathogen. Leading pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus (n = 267, 33.6%), Streptococcus viridans (n = 149, 18.7%), enterococci (n = 128, 16.1%), coagulase-negative staphylococci (n = 92, 11.6%)) displayed substantial resistance profiles. A total of 132 (15.2%) patients had cardiac abscesses; 693 (79.9%) patients had left-sided endocarditis. Aortic (n = 394, 45.4%) and mitral valves (n = 369, 42.5%) were most frequently involved. Mortality was more common in PVE than NVE (NVE (n = 101, 16%), PVE (n = 49, 22.9%), p = 0.042).

Military jet pilots have higher p-wave dispersions compared to the transport aircraft aircrew.

OBJECTIVES: For the purpose of flight safety military aircrew must be healthy. P-wave dispersion (PWD) is the p-wave length difference in an electrocardiographic (ECG) examination and represents the risk of developing atrial fibrillation. In the study we aimed at investigating PWD in healthy military aircrew who reported for periodical examinations. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seventy-five asymptomatic military aircrew were enrolled in the study. All the subjects underwent physical, radiologic and biochemical examinations, and a 12-lead electrocardiography. P-wave dispersions were calculated. RESULTS: The mean age of the study participants was 36.15±8.97 years and the mean p-wave duration was 100.8±12 ms in the whole group. Forty-seven subjects were non-pilot aircrew, and 28 were pilots. Thirteen study subjects were serving in jets, 49 in helicopters, and 13 were transport aircraft pilots. Thirty-six of the helicopter and 11 of the transport aircraft aircrew were non-pilot aircrew. P-wave dispersion was the lowest in the transport aircraft aircrew, and the highest in jet pilots. P-wave dispersions were similar in the pilots and non-pilot aircrew. Twenty-three study subjects were overweight, 19 had thyroiditis, 26 had hepatosteatosis, 4 had hyperbilirubinemia, 2 had hypertension, and 5 had hyperlipidemia. The PWD was significantly associated with thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels. Serum uric acid levels were associated with p-wave durations. Serum TSH levels were the most important predictor of PWD. CONCLUSIONS: When TSH levels were associated with PWD, uric acid levels were associated with p-wave duration in the military aircrew. The jet pilots had higher PWDs. These findings reveal that military jet pilots may have a higher risk of developing atrial fibrillation, and PWD should be recorded during periodical examinations.

Can a novel scoring system derived from hemodynamic and anthropometric variables predict sympathetic drive in young patients?

AIM: Sympathetic overdrive is generally the main pathophysiological abnormality in cardiovascular disease. However, its grading is not easy in clinical practice because of its complex interactions and differences in phenotypical expression. We proposed an easy, feasible, and global scaling system for sympathetic activity level. 'Sympathetic activity index' (SAI) is based on scores of heart rate, BMI, and blood pressure categories, which are the major representatives of sympathetic activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Respectively, 1, 2, and 3 points were determined for heart rate below 69, 70-89, and above 90 bpm; -1, 1, and 2 points for BMI less than 20, 20-24.9, and at least 25 kg/m; and 1, 2, and 3 points for normal, prehypertension, and hypertension categories. Demographic and echocardiographic parameters, and left ventricular (LV) mass and mass indexes (LVMIBSA and LVMIHeight) of 545 young males were compared among groups with SAI 1-8. RESULTS: We observed that LVM, LVMIBSA, and LVMIHeight, left atrial diameter were significantly increased in association with SAI (P<0.001). SAI was correlated with LVM (R=0.314, P<0.001), LVMIBSA (R=193, P<0.001), and LVMIHeight (R=0.316, P<0.001). SAI of at least 5.5 could determine the left ventricular hypertrophy with a sensitivity and a specificity of 57 and 70%, respectively (AUC=682, 95% confidence interval 0.610-0.753, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Integration of clinical, anthropometric, and hemodynamic variables in a novel index such as SAI may provide an objective and noninvasive means of grading actual sympathetic drive. SAI may be used to follow-up sympathetic activity and to predict clinical events in the management of young patients with cardiovascular and metabolic abnormalities.

Relationship of Systolic Blood Pressure and Body Mass Index With Left Ventricular Mass and Mass Index in Adolescents.

Prevalence of hypertension (HT) is growing among children and adolescents. Its diagnosis is commonly ignored as it does not produce any end-organ damage in adolescents. We evaluated whether the blood pressure (BP) and confounding factors were related to myocardial mass increase; an earlier representative of HT; among adolescents. We have demonstrated that heart rate, body mass index (BMI), left ventricular mass (LVM), interventricular septum, and LV mass indexed to body surface area (BSA) and height significantly increased as the category of BP increased. We have also showed that the systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), and BMI were significantly correlated with the LVM and LVM indexed to BSA and height. Linear regression analysis revealed a significant relationship between SBP, BMI, and LVM, LVM indexed to BSA and height. Hypertension may cause myocardial hypertrophy even at a young age. Height is an alternative and practical way of determining the left ventricular mass index (LVMI) in adolescents. The BMI is significantly related to LVM and LVMI as well as SBP and DBP are. The results support that overweight and obesity should be controlled strictly in the management of HT in a young population.

Novel variant of dual left anterior descending artery arising from single right coronary artery anomaly presenting with angina inversa.

A 55-year-old female without a history of coronary artery disease, hypertensive for the past 17 years, was admitted with resting chest pain. Electrocardiography revealed a negative T-wave in anterior chest leads. Coronary angiography visualised anomalous coronary anatomy, with a common origin of the right coronary artery and the left main coronary artery in the right sinus of Valsalva serving as a common coronary trunk. It should be emphasised that T-wave abnormalities and chest angina may be related to this congenital coronary anomaly.

Coronary artery spontaneous dissection in a young male heavy smoker during bed rest.

Spontaneous dissection of coronary artery (SDCA) is an extremely infrequent cause of acute cardiac ischaemic manifestations or sudden cardiac death with complex pathophysiology. This condition mostly affects young women in association with peripartum or postpartum status with no known risk factors for cardiovascular disease although some correlations have been noted with connective tissue disorders contraceptive use or intense physical activity. Herein, we report a case of spontaneous dissection of the left anterior descending artery during bed rest in a 24-year-old young man who had no risk factors except smoking or family history of coronary artery diseases.

Is there a role for surgery in the management of isolated secundum atrial septal defect in adults?

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the short-term outcomes of surgical versus transcatheter closure of secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) in adults. METHODS: From January 2008 to October 2012, 229 patients aged 18 years and older with significant isolated secundum ASDs were admitted to our hospital. We focused only on objective data obtained from their medical records. We collected and compared a total of 163 patients with isolated secundum ASD, who were treated with device occlusion or surgical closure, and had no missing data. Postoperative outcomes, rhythm disturbances, residual ASD, infection rates and length of hospital stay were compared. RESULTS: Complete follow-up data were available for 42 (46%) patients in the device group and for 121 (87%) in the surgery group. Complete closure was observed in 41 of the 42 patients (97.6%) in the device group (p = 0.258) and in all 121 in the surgery group (100 %) (p > 0.05). There were no mortalities. The mean length of hospital stay in the device group was 1.92 ± 0.43 days and in the surgery group 7.14 ± 0.14 days (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The transcatheter approach for closure of ASDs is an effective and safe treatment option when performed for certain indications. Broadening the spectrum of indications may cause some adverse events. Surgical treatment remains a good alternative for all patients with ASDs and can be performed safely in order not to increase procedure-related complications.

Percutaneous closure of mitral paravalvular leak via retrograde approach: with use of the Amplatzer duct occluder II and without a wire loop.

The gold-standard treatment for prosthetic-valve paravalvular leakage is surgery to repair or replace the valve; however, the morbidity and mortality rates cannot be ignored, and some patients are poor surgical candidates. The percutaneous closure of such defects is possible, and different devices are being used for this purpose. In almost all instances, a femorofemoral or femorojugular wire loop is constructed to deliver the closure device. Herein, we present the case of a 61-year-old man in whom a mitral paravalvular leak was successfully closed with use of the Amplatzer Duct Occluder II, via retrograde approach under 3-dimensional transesophageal echocardiographic guidance, without the use of a wire loop. To the best of our knowledge, this is the 1st report of retrograde device deployment without the construction of an arteriovenous wire loop, and the 1st case in which the Amplatzer Duct Occluder II was used for the percutaneous closure of a mitral paravalvular leak.

Chitosan-coated alginate microspheres for embolization and/or chemoembolization: in vivo studies.

In this study, chitosan-coated alginate microspheres were prepared by the ionic complexation of alginate and chitosan biopolymers to use in embolization and/or chemoembolization studies. Biopolymeric microspheres were prepared by the ionic gelation technique of alginate with a suitable divalent cation (i.e. CaCl2) in a suspension medium composed of mineral oil and petroleum ether including emulsifier (i.e. Tween-80) and then obtained microspheres were coated with chitosan in an aqueous chitosan solution while the medium was magnetically stirred. The obtained microspheres are in the size range of 100-400 microm and they can be prepared as required by changing the preparation conditions (i.e. stirring rate, concentration of biopolymers, molecular weight and concentration of chitosan, etc.). In the in vivo studies, New Zealand rabbits were used as the test animals. Both complete and partial embolization of the kidney were achieved by using the microspheres. The renal angiograms obtained before/after embolization and the histopathological observations showed the feasibility of the chitosan-coated alginate microspheres as an alternative embolization and/or chemoembolization agent.

Safety of gadodiamide mixed with a small quantity of iohexol in patients with impaired renal function undergoing coronary angiography.

Gadolinium-based contrast agents can be used in diagnostic and interventional angiography, and are safe in recommended doses in patients with impaired renal function, but the image quality is usually unsatisfactory. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the safety of gadolinium mixed with a small quantity of iodine-based contrast agent and the image quality of this mixture in patients with renal insufficiency undergoing diagnostic coronary angiography. Forty-two patients with baseline creatinine level>1.5 mg/dl were randomized into gadolinium or iodine groups. In the gadolinium group gadodiamide was mixed with 1:3 iohexole and in the iodine group only this agent was used as contrast material. Peak creatinine levels 48-72 h after the procedure were measured. The primary end point was the development of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN), defined as >25% increase of baseline creatinine levels, and the secondary end points were absolute and relative changes in baseline creatinine levels. Total contrast volumes used were not different between groups (57+/-11 ml in gadolinium and 55+/-10 ml in iodine; P=0.68). Mean creatinine level did not increase significantly in the gadolinium group (from 1.9+/-0.3 to 1.9+/-0.4 mg/dl; P=0.06), but did in the iodine group (from 2.0+/-0.4 to 2.3+/-0.5 mg/dl; P=0.001). No patient had CIN in the gadolinium group whereas 5 (23%) patients had this phenomenon in the iodine group (P=0.048). Contrast regimen was very well tolerated in the gadolinium group, with only transient headache in two patients. Gadodiamide mixed with a small quantity of iohexol is safe in patients with azotemia undergoing diagnostic coronary angiography. The image qualities obtained with this combination are also satisfactory in all of the cases. Further evaluation of the safety of this technique is warranted, especially in other types of diagnostic and interventional procedures in which a higher amount of contrast dye is needed.

[The effect of paclitaxel-eluting stents on restenosis]. / Paklitaksel salan stentlerin restenoz üzerine etkisi.

OBJECTIVE: In our study we aimed to investigate the effects of paclitaxel-eluting stent on restenosis. METHODS: Sixteen porcine were randomly assigned to two groups (n=8 per group): control group animals received conventional stent implantation and study group animals -paclitaxel-eluting stent implantation. Both groups were treated with 300 mg acetylsalicylic acid and 75 mg clopidogrel daily. The degree of neointimal proliferation and effect of drug-eluting stent on restenosis were evaluated 6 weeks after by angiography and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). RESULTS: Angiographic in-stent restenosis was lower in paclitaxel-eluting stent group (12.50 +/- 7.07% versus 41.25 +/- 28.50%, p=0.001). The IVUS data demonstrated that paclitaxel group animals had larger minimal lumen area (8.76 +/- 1.09 mm2 versus 6.23 +/- 3.10 mm2, p=0.028), smaller mean neointimal proliferation area (1.03 +/- 0.75 mm2 versus 3.55 +/- 2.86 mm2, p=0.01) and mean percent stenosis (10.71 +/- 8.10% versus 36.85 +/- 30.93%, p=0.01). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that drug-eluting stents may also have a preventive effect for the in-stent restenosis.

Effect of octreotide in the prevention of doxorubicin cardiotoxicity.

OBJECTIVE: A precise method for prevention from doxorubicin cardiotoxicity is not known. We examined whether octreotide has a protective effect against doxorubicin cardiotoxicity. METHODS: New Zealand rabbits (n=44) were divided into 4 groups according to drugs given: Group A (n=12) doxorubicin and octreotide, Group B (n=12) only doxorubicin, Group C (n=10) only octreotide and Group D (n=10) only saline. Effects of the drugs were evaluated in terms of histopathological score, fractional shortening (FS) and prolongation of the QTc interval. RESULTS: Mean pathological score for cardiotoxicity (Group A: 3.7+/-0.5, Group B: 3.9+/-0.3), prolongation of QTc (Group A: from 244.5+/-21.2 ms to 282.9+/-25.9 ms, p<0.0001; Group B: from 248.5+/-17.7 ms to 298.3+/-13.7 ms, p<0.00001) and the rate of decrease in FS (Group A: from 34.4+/-2.0 to 28.0+/-2.0, p<0.05; Group B: from 35.1+/-1.9 to 24.8+/-1.3, p<0.05) were higher in Group B when compared to Group A, but only difference in the rate of decrease in FS was statistically significant (p<0.001). None of these variables changed significantly in groups C and D. CONCLUSION: In this preliminary study, octreotide seems not to reduce doxorubicin cardiotoxicity. On the other hand, a consistent tendency of decreased cardiotoxicity in octreotide+doxorubicin group was observed, although only the difference in FS decrease was significant. Further investigations are needed to address the issue of the extent and the mechanisms of this effect.

Angiographic restenosis after myocardial bridge stenting.

Data on restenosis after stent implantation in myocardial bridges (MB) are very limited. Six-month angiographic results for 12 symptomatic patients who underwent stent implantation for myocardial bridges were compared retrospectively with those of 39 patients who underwent direct stent implantation for de novo atherosclerotic lesions in the left anterior descending artery. Diameter stenosis decreased from 69 +/- 8% to 4 +/- 5% in the MB group and from 79 +/- 8% to 7 +/- 6% in the control group after stent deployment. Systolic narrowing was abolished in all patients with MB. In follow-up, quantitative angiography revealed late loss of 1.8 +/- 1.3 mm in the MB group and 0.9 +/- 0.9 mm in the control group (P = 0.025). The in-stent restenosis rate was also higher in the MB group compared to the control group (67% versus 28%; P = 0.037). Despite favorable immediate results, stent implantation in MBs may not be promising because of the higher in-stent restenosis rate compared to stenting in de novo atherosclerotic lesions.

Single coronary artery with anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the left anterior descending artery with a unique proximal course.

A 62-year-old man with hypertension and hypercholesterolemia was referred to our unit for evaluation of chest pain. A very rare variant of single coronary artery, in which the anomalous right coronary artery originated as a separate branch from the left anterior descending artery, was incidentally found on his coronary angiography. The anomalous right coronary artery in our case appears to be unique in that it courses intraseptally rather than rightwards proximally and has obstructive atherosclerotic lesions resulting in inferior ischemia. Moreover, the acute angle made by the anomalous right coronary artery to turn toward the atrioventricular groove may have reduced the flow velocity and contributed to the development of inferior ischemia.