Medical decisions in organ donors and heart transplant candidates with history of COVID-19 infection: An international practice survey.

BACKGROUND: A growing proportion of transplant donors and recipients have a history of COVID-19 infection. This study sought to characterize clinical practice after recipient or donor COVID-19 infection. METHODS: An online survey was distributed to heart transplant clinicians through a professional society message board and social media. Responses were collected between September 29 and November 5, 2021. RESULTS: There were 222 health care professionals (68% transplant cardiologists, 22% transplant surgeons, 10% other) across diverse geographic regions who completed the survey. While there was significant variation in donor acceptance, as it relates to past and current COVID-19 infection, the respondents were fairly cautious: 28% would not typically accept a donor with a history of COVID-19 regardless of the infection course and > 80% would not accept donors who had evidence of myocardial dysfunction during past COVID-19 infection, or who died of COVID-19 or its complications. The timing of candidate reactivation on the waiting list after COVID-19 infection also varied and often diverged from scenarios addressed by social guidelines. Eighty-one percent of the respondents felt COVID-19 vaccine should be mandatory before transplant, but this rate varied by geographic region. CONCLUSION: Our results reflect evolving experience of the heart transplant field at a time of lack of high-quality evidence. In the absence of longer-term outcome data for donors and transplant candidates with history of COVID-19 infection, clinicians remain cautious; however, this approach will likely need to be refined as an increasing proportion of the population will continue to be infected with COVID-19.

[Diuretic resistance and heart failure: between congestion and kidney injury]. / Resistencia diurética e insuficiencia cardíaca: entre la congestión y la disfunción renal.

Nowadays, heart Failure (HF) is one of the main contributors of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, this faces us with great challenges. The heart-kidney interaction receives particular attention due to the development of the so-called cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) and the diuretic resistance, latter is a predictor of adverse events in acute HF and is independent of the glomerular filtration rate. Development of diuretic resistance is secondary to multiple causes, so a comprehensive evaluation of all of them is required. In recent years, congestion has become relevant within the pathophysiological mechanism of CRS, as it mutually generates and perpetuates damage in these two organs. Given the importance of congestion, diuretics remain the cornerstone of treatment, although their use is largely empirical due to the limited evidence available. The evidence-based treatment paradigm is elusive in this scenario, so one question remains unanswered: Do the interventions to treat or to prevent the diuretic resistance modify the prognosis in acute HF?

Leptospiral infection: a serosurvey in urban and rural communities in Olavarría county, Argentina.

INTRODUCTION: Leptospirosis is a neglected zoonotic disease, affecting mainly poor and vulnerable populations. METHODOLOGY: A cross sectional-study was carried out in 557 subjects from Olavarría county (Argentina) to estimate the seroprevalence of leptospirosis and the factors associated with seropositivity. A survey was carried out to obtain clinical and epidemiological data. Serum was tested for anti-leptospiral antibodies by Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT). Chi-square or Fisher Exact tests were used to assess association between the MAT results and the exploratory variables. For the variables statistically associated, odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated. Individuals from Olavarría city were georeferenced to describe the spatial distribution and to detect clusters of seropositivity for leptospiral antibodies. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of leptospirosis infection was 7.00%, higher in rural (19.66%) than in urban populations (3.64%) (p < 0.001). Sejroe was the most predominant serogroup in rural communities while Icterohaemorrhagiae was the most prevalent in urban populations. The factors associated with Leptospira infection were the presence of rodents inside households (OR = 3.9) in rural populations, while contact with cats (OR = 4.97) and male gender (OR = 7.75) represented higher risk of infection for the urban ones. Cases with positive serology have been found near Tapalqué stream or in the peripheral areas of Olavarría city. CONCLUSIONS: The results from data obtained during the study period were similar to other reports and demonstrate the importance of continuous epidemiological surveillance system and specific community educational campaigns to prevent the leptospirosis infection in Olavarría county and other communities with similar characteristics especially in rural areas.

Renal effects of guideline-directed medical therapies in heart failure: a consensus document from the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology.

Novel pharmacologic treatment options reduce mortality and morbidity in a cost-effective manner in patients with heart failure (HF). Undisputedly, the effective implementation of these agents is an essential element of good clinical practice, which is endorsed by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines on acute and chronic HF. Yet, physicians struggle to implement these therapies as they have to balance the true and/or perceived risks versus their substantial benefits in clinical practice. Any worsening of biomarkers of renal function is often perceived as being disadvantageous and is in clinical practice one of the most common reasons for ineffective drug implementation. However, even in this context, they clearly reduce mortality and morbidity in HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) patients, even in patients with poor renal function. Furthermore these agents are also beneficial in HF with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF) and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors more recently demonstrated a beneficial effect in HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). The emerge of several new classes (angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor [ARNI], SGLT2 inhibitors, vericiguat, omecamtiv mecarbil) and the recommendation by the 2021 ESC guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic HF of early initiation and titration of quadruple disease-modifying therapies (ARNI/angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor + beta-blocker + mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist and SGLT2 inhibitor) in HFrEF increases the likelihood of treatment-induced changes in renal function. This may be (incorrectly) perceived as deleterious, resulting in inertia of starting and uptitrating these lifesaving therapies. Therefore, the objective of this consensus document is to provide advice of the effect HF drugs on renal function.

Cardiogenic Shock Among Patients with and without Acute Myocardial Infarction in a Latin American Country: A Single-Institution Study.

Background: Latin America has limited information about the full spectrum cardiogenic shock (CS) and its hospital outcome. This study sought to examine the temporal trends, clinical features and outcomes of patients with CS in a coronary care unit of single Mexican institution. Methods: This was a retrospective study of consecutive patients hospitalized with CS in a Mexican teaching hospital between 2006-2019. Patients were classified according to the presence or absence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Results: Of 22,747 admissions, 833 (3.7%) exhibited CS. Among patients with AMI (n = 12,438), 5% had AMI-CS, and in patients without AMI (n = 10,309), 2.3% developed CS (non-AMI-CS). Their median age was 63 years and 70.5% were men. Cardiovascular risk factors were more frequent among the AMI-CS group, whereas a history of heart failure was greater in non-AMI-CS patients (70.1%). In AMI-CS patients, the median delay time was 17.2 hours from the onset of AMI symptoms to hospital admission. Overall, the median left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 30%. Patients with CS at admission showed end-organ dysfunction, evidenced by lactic acidosis, renal impairment, and elevated liver transaminases. Of the 620 AMI-CS patients, the main cause was left ventricular dysfunction in 71.3%, mechanical complications in 15.2% and right ventricular infarction in 13.5%. Among the 213 non-AMI-CS patients, valvular heart disease (49.3%) and cardiomyopathies (42.3%) were the most frequent etiologies. In-hospital all-cause mortality rates were 69.7% and 72.3% in the AMI-CS and non-AMI-CS groups, respectively. Among AMI-CS patients, renal dysfunction, diabetes, older age, depressed LVEF, absence of revascularization and the use of mechanical ventilation were independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. However, in the non-AMI-CS group, only low LVEF and high lactate levels proved significant. Conclusions: This study demonstrates differences in the epidemiology of CS compared to high-income countries; the high mortality reflects critically ill patients and the lack of contemporary effective therapies in the population studied.

Embarazo ectópico abdominal: protocolo de tratamiento combinado. Reporte de un caso / Ectopic abdominal pregnancy: combined treatment strategy: A case report

Resumen ANTECEDENTES: El embarazo ectópico abdominal es una alteración poco frecuente, sin tratamiento definido hasta ahora. La extracción quirúrgica del feto y la aplicación de metotrexato representan una opción de tratamiento en pacientes con embarazo ectópico abdominal. CASO CLÍNICO: Paciente de 36 años, con 16.2 semanas de embarazo, que acudió al servicio de urgencias por un cuadro de dolor en el epigastrio. El ultrasonido pélvico y la tomografía computada evidenciaron una imagen sugerente de feto sin vitalidad en el hipocondrio derecho. La laparotomía exploradora objetivó un feto masculino, de 115 g, cubierto con epiplón en el mesogastrio, extraído sin dificultad. No se retiró el tejido placentario, pues se encontraba adherido al tejido intestinal. El tratamiento consistió en múltiples dosis de metotrexato. La paciente evolucionó satisfactoriamente y fue dada de alta sin complicaciones. CONCLUSIÓN: El tratamiento combinado (laparotomía para la extracción del feto y administración posterior de metotrexato) es una opción efectiva en pacientes con embarazo ectópico abdominal no complicado, con tejido placentario adherido en zonas sumamente vascularizadas.

Abstract BACKGROUND: Abdominal ectopic pregnancy is a rare entity which treatment has not been clearly stablished. One of the therapeutic alternatives is the surgical extraction of the fetus and the subsequent application of methotrexate in these patients. CLINICAL CASE: A 36-year-old female patient came to the emergency unit complaining of pain in the epigastrium. The patient referred a pregnancy of 16.2 weeks. Pelvic ultrasound and computed tomography were performed, demonstrating a suggestive image of a fetus without vitality at the level of the right hypochondrium. An exploratory laparotomy was performed. A male 115 gram fetus was observed at the level of mesogastrium, and was extracted without difficulty. Placental tissue was not removed because it was adhered to intestinal tissue. The subsequent management consisted of methotrexate. The patient was discharged without complications. CONCLUSION: The combined therapy between laparotomy for the extraction of the fetus and administration of methotrexate may be viable for cases of uncomplicated abdominal ectopic pregnancy in which the placental tissue is adhered to highly vascularized areas.

Iniciativa para aumentar la donación de órganos y tejidos en México / Initiative to increase organ and tissue donation in Mexico

El programa de donación de órganos y tejidos con fines de trasplante debe ser fortalecido y tener como objetivo principal incrementar la donación cadavérica, suceso que elevará el número de trasplantes y como consecuencia reducirá la cantidad de personas en lista de espera. En México las bajas tasas de donación son resultado de múltiples causas y los factores a modificar son también abundantes, entre lo que sobresale la negativa al solicitar el consentimiento familiar. La Coordinación de Donación de Órganos y Tejidos con Fines de Trasplante (CODOyT) recomienda una serie de puntos a desarrollar y afinar en cada hospital así como la elaboración de proyectos a corto, mediano y largo plazo para lograr el objetivo.

The Organ and Tissue Donation Program must be strengthened to increase the number of cadaveric donors, which will raise the number of transplantations and, therefore, decrease the national recipient waiting list. There are many reasons for the low rates of donation in Mexicol, and the factors that must be modified are also abundant, being the most prominent the lack of family authorization. The Coordination for Organ and Tissues Donation and Transplantation recommends some points to be developed and refined in every hospital, as well as the making of short-medium-and longterm projects to achieve the objective.