Effect of Intermediate-Dose vs Standard-Dose Prophylactic Anticoagulation on Thrombotic Events, Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Treatment, or Mortality Among Patients With COVID-19 Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit: The INSPIRATION Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Thrombotic events are commonly reported in critically ill patients with COVID-19. Limited data exist to guide the intensity of antithrombotic prophylaxis. Objective: To evaluate the effects of intermediate-dose vs standard-dose prophylactic anticoagulation among patients with COVID-19 admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Design, Setting, and Participants: Multicenter randomized trial with a 2 × 2 factorial design performed in 10 academic centers in Iran comparing intermediate-dose vs standard-dose prophylactic anticoagulation (first hypothesis) and statin therapy vs matching placebo (second hypothesis; not reported in this article) among adult patients admitted to the ICU with COVID-19. Patients were recruited between July 29, 2020, and November 19, 2020. The final follow-up date for the 30-day primary outcome was December 19, 2020. Interventions: Intermediate-dose (enoxaparin, 1 mg/kg daily) (n = 276) vs standard prophylactic anticoagulation (enoxaparin, 40 mg daily) (n = 286), with modification according to body weight and creatinine clearance. The assigned treatments were planned to be continued until completion of 30-day follow-up. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary efficacy outcome was a composite of venous or arterial thrombosis, treatment with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or mortality within 30 days, assessed in randomized patients who met the eligibility criteria and received at least 1 dose of the assigned treatment. Prespecified safety outcomes included major bleeding according to the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (type 3 or 5 definition), powered for noninferiority (a noninferiority margin of 1.8 based on odds ratio), and severe thrombocytopenia (platelet count <20 ×103/µL). All outcomes were blindly adjudicated. Results: Among 600 randomized patients, 562 (93.7%) were included in the primary analysis (median [interquartile range] age, 62 [50-71] years; 237 [42.2%] women). The primary efficacy outcome occurred in 126 patients (45.7%) in the intermediate-dose group and 126 patients (44.1%) in the standard-dose prophylaxis group (absolute risk difference, 1.5% [95% CI, -6.6% to 9.8%]; odds ratio, 1.06 [95% CI, 0.76-1.48]; P = .70). Major bleeding occurred in 7 patients (2.5%) in the intermediate-dose group and 4 patients (1.4%) in the standard-dose prophylaxis group (risk difference, 1.1% [1-sided 97.5% CI, -∞ to 3.4%]; odds ratio, 1.83 [1-sided 97.5% CI, 0.00-5.93]), not meeting the noninferiority criteria (P for noninferiority >.99). Severe thrombocytopenia occurred only in patients assigned to the intermediate-dose group (6 vs 0 patients; risk difference, 2.2% [95% CI, 0.4%-3.8%]; P = .01). Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients admitted to the ICU with COVID-19, intermediate-dose prophylactic anticoagulation, compared with standard-dose prophylactic anticoagulation, did not result in a significant difference in the primary outcome of a composite of adjudicated venous or arterial thrombosis, treatment with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or mortality within 30 days. These results do not support the routine empirical use of intermediate-dose prophylactic anticoagulation in unselected patients admitted to the ICU with COVID-19. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04486508.

Impact of Thrombus Sidedness on Presentation and Outcomes of Patients with Proximal Lower Extremity Deep Vein Thrombosis.

Small studies have suggested differences in demographics and outcomes between left- and right-sided deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and also unilateral versus bilateral DVT. We investigated the clinical presentation and outcomes of patients with DVT based on thrombus sidedness. The authors used the data from the Registro Informatizado Enfermedad TromboEmbólica (RIETE) database (2001-2016) to identify patients with symptomatic proximal lower-extremity DVT. Main outcomes included cumulative 90-day symptomatic pulmonary embolism (PE) and 1-year mortality. Overall, 30,445 patients were included. The majority of DVTs occurred in the left leg (16,421 left-sided, 12,643 right-sided, and 1,390 bilateral; p < 0.001 for chi-squared test comparing all three groups). Comorbidities were relatively similar in those with left-sided and right-sided DVT. Compared with those with left-sided DVT, patients with right-sided DVT had higher relative frequency of PE (26% versus 23%, p < 0.001) and 1-year mortality (odds ratio [OR]: 1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00-1.18). This difference in mortality did not persist after multivariable adjustment (OR: 1.01; 95% CI: 0.93-1.1). Patients with bilateral DVT had a greater burden of comorbidities such as heart failure, and recent surgery compared with those with unilateral DVT (p < 0.001), and higher relative frequency of PE (48%), and 1-year mortality (24.1%). Worse outcomes in patients with bilateral DVT were attenuated but persisted after multivariable adjustment for demographics and risk factors (OR: 1.64; 95% CI: 1.43-1.87). Patients with bilateral DVT had worse outcomes during and after discontinuation of anticoagulation. There is a left-sided preponderance for proximal lower-extremity DVT. Compared with those with left-sided DVT, patients with right-sided DVT have slightly higher rates of PE. Bilateral DVT is associated with markedly worse short-term and 1-year outcomes.

Ca2+-dependent calcineurin/NFAT signaling in ß-adrenergic-induced cardiac hypertrophy.

Ca2+ is an important mediator in the ß-adrenergic-induced cardiac hypertrophy. The ß-adrenergic stimulation alters the Ca2+ transient characteristics including its oscillation frequency, diastolic and systolic levels which lead to the CaN activation and subsequent NFAT-dependent hypertrophic genes transcription. Moreover, ß-adrenergic-induced alterations in PKA and GSK3ß kinase activities in both the cytosol and the nucleus regulate NFAT nuclear translocation and contribute in its hypertrophic response. Due to the complex nature of CaN/NFAT signaling in cardiac cells, we use a computational approach to investigate the ß-adrenergic-induced CaN/NFAT activation in the cardiac myocytes. The presented model predicts well the main physiological characteristics of CaN/NFAT signaling in accordance with the experimental observations. The presented model establishes the previous experimental and mathematical results on the principal role of Ca2+ oscillation frequency in the CaN/NFAT signaling and shows that increase in Ca2+ oscillation frequency enhances CaN activity and its sensitivity to low ISO concentrations. The model illustrates that in addition to the known ISO effect on Ca2+ transient amplitude, ISO-induced alterations in Ca2+ oscillation frequency, PKA and GSK3ß kinase activities also greatly affect the ß-adrenergic-induced NFAT activity. We also found that PKA has both pro-hypertrophic and anti-hypertrophic effects on NFAT activation and is the main kinase in ISO-induced NFAT activation.

Smoking and wound complications after coronary artery bypass grafting.

BACKGROUND: The harmful effects of smoking on the postsurgical wound healing disturbances have been widely investigated across various surgical procedures. These effects after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery have been less explored. We aimed to investigate the association of smoking and the wound healing problems in post-CABG patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We compared the incidence of wound complications in 405 smokers and 405 nonsmokers who underwent an elective CABG surgery. The incidence of leg and sternal wound complications was evaluated during the first 7 d as well as at a 6-wk postoperative visit. RESULTS: One hundred fifty-six leg wound complications were noted in 132 patients (16.3%). The overall rate of leg wound healing disturbances was significantly higher in smokers than those in nonsmokers (odds ratio, 1.47; 95% confidence interval, 1.109-4.019; P = 0.010). The incidence rates of leg wound edge necrosis and dehiscence were significantly higher in smokers compared with those in nonsmokers (3.7% versus 0.7%, P = 0.004 and 6.6% versus 0.7%, P < 0.0001, respectively). We found no significant differences between the incidence of postoperative leg wound infection, hematoma, wound edema, and seroma in active smokers and those who never smoked. Thirty-seven postsurgical sternal wound complications (4.6%) were developed in 33 patients (4.1%). The overall rate of sternal wound healing disturbances was similar between smokers and nonsmokers. There was a trend between the sternal wound dehiscence and smoking (P = 0.03); however, the other sternal wound complications were not associated with smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking may contribute to the disturbances of wound healing, especially wound dehiscence, in post-CABG patients.

Changing pattern of infective endocarditis in Iran: A 16 years survey.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the changes in characteristics of patients with infective endocarditis in Iran and comparing the results with the changing profiles of Infection Endocarditis (IE) in other countries. METHODOLOGY: We studied all patients with definite or possible IE seen at four referral teaching hospitals in Iran from Jan. 1995 to Dec. 2010. The data was analyzed both collectively and separately in two consecutive eight-year periods, i.e. 1995-2003 and 2004-2010. RESULTS: A total of 286 episodes of IE, 172 males and 114 females, were reviewed from which 162 ones were in the first eight-year time period and 124 episodes in the second one. Mean age of the patients was significantly increased in the second eight-year period (24.2±11 vs 39.4±15 years old, p value = 0.01). Increase in the episodes caused by Staphylococcus aureus was significant (40.7% vs 22.8%, p value = 0.01). The mean size of the vegetation was noticeably higher among IDUs than non-IDUs (1.53±0.1cm vs 0.76±0.2cm, p value < 0.001). As well as extra cardiac complications, mortality rate was noticeably higher among the patients with vegetation size ≥ 1cm (34.4% vs 16.3%, p value = 0.003). There was not a significant difference regarding the mortality rate between the conservatively and surgically treated patients (20.7% vs 22.9%, p value = 0.07). CONCLUSION: The most important changing characteristic of IE which influences the outcome of the disease seems to be vegetation size which can account for as the outcome predictor.

Evaluating the efficacy and safety of rivaroxaban as a warfarin alternative in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension patients undergoing pulmonary endarterectomy: A randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is caused by the obstruction of the main pulmonary artery due to thrombosis and vascular remodeling. Regarding the need for anticoagulant therapy in CTEPH patients, this study aimed to compare rivaroxaban with warfarin in terms of its efficacy and safety in patients undergoing endarterectomy surgery. METHODS: The study was a parallel clinical trial in patients who underwent endarterectomy following CTEPH. A total of 96 patients were randomly selected and assigned to two groups: warfarin-treated (control) and rivaroxaban-treated (intervention). Patients were clinically assessed for re-thrombosis, re-admission, bleeding, and mortality in the first, third, and sixth months after surgery. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the occurrence of thrombosis between the two groups within the first, third-, and sixth-months post-surgery (p=0.52, 1, 0.38 respectively). Moreover, the mortality rate (p=0.9), bleeding rate (p=0.06), and re-admission rate (p=0.15) showed no significant differences between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Rivaroxaban may be as effective as warfarin in treating CTEPH patients after endarterectomy in the short term and can be used as an anticoagulant in these patients. However, studies with long-term follow-ups are needed to consolidate the strategy of treating these patients with rivaroxaban.

Donor heart selection: Evidence-based guidelines for providers.

The proposed donor heart selection guidelines provide evidence-based and expert-consensus recommendations for the selection of donor hearts following brain death. These recommendations were compiled by an international panel of experts based on an extensive literature review.

Atorvastatin versus Placebo in ICU Patients with COVID-19: Ninety-day Results of the INSPIRATION-S Trial.

BACKGROUND: In the INSPIRATION-S trial, atorvastatin versus placebo was associated with a nonsignificant 16% reduction in 30-day composite of venous/arterial thrombosis or death in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with COVID-19. Thrombo-inflammatory response in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may last beyond the first 30 days. METHODS: This article reports the effects of atorvastatin 20 mg daily versus placebo on 90-day clinical and functional outcomes from INSPIRATION-S, a double-blind multicenter randomized trial of adult ICU patients with COVID-19. The main outcome for this prespecified study was a composite of adjudicated venous/arterial thrombosis, treatment with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), or all-cause mortality. Functional status was assessed with the Post-COVID-19 Functional Scale. RESULTS: In the primary analysis, 587 patients were included (age: 57 [Q1-Q3: 45-68] years; 44% women). By 90-day follow-up, the main outcome occurred in 96 (33.1%) patients assigned to atorvastatin and 113 (38.0%) assigned to placebo (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.80, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.60-1.05, p = 0.11). Atorvastatin in patients who presented within 7 days of symptom onset was associated with reduced 90-day hazard for the main outcome (HR: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.42-0.86, p interaction = 0.02). Atorvastatin use was associated with improved 90-day functional status, although the upper bound CI crossed 1.0 (ORordinal: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.41-1.01, p = 0.05). CONCLUSION: Atorvastatin 20 mg compared with placebo did not significantly reduce the 90-day composite of death, treatment with ECMO, or venous/arterial thrombosis. However, the point estimates do not exclude a potential clinically meaningful treatment effect, especially among patients who presented within 7 days of symptom onset (NCT04486508).

Prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism: a great global divide between expert guidelines and clinical practice?

Our understanding of development and prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) has improved dramatically since Virchow described the triad of stasis, hypercoagulability, and endothelial dysfunction during the mid-1800s. A full arsenal of effective pharmacological and mechanical methods can help prevent VTE and many professional organizations have provided extensive evidence-based statements for VTE prophylaxis. Disappointingly, however, VTE has remained the major preventable cause of hospital death. Adherence rate to clinical guidelines is undesirably low. Many real-world patients have also been excluded from VTE prevention trials and hence practice guidelines recommendations. The comprehensive and repetitious formats of many available guidelines also limit their readability and applicability by nonthrombosis specialists. Moreover, some patients suffer from VTE despite complying with the contemporary prophylaxis regimens. Besides, significant heterogeneity exists in thromboprophylaxis practice and pitfalls between different countries. Last but not the least; although many at-risk patients are underprophylaxed, there is evidence to suggest that overprophylaxis (i.e., prescription of thromboprophylaxis in low-risk patients) comprises another important problem. We review the thromboprophylaxis practice and pitfalls around the world and provide recommendations on how the major obstacles can be overcome.

Investigation of two general venous thromboembolism risk-stratification models in predicting venous thromboembolic events in TB patients.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains an infectious disease with a high prevalence worldwide and represents a major public health concern. It is known that TB causes a hyper-coagulable state due to its infective nature. Thus, patients are prone to higher incidence rates of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in comparison with the general population. Although there are many risk assessment models (RAMs) that estimate the risk of VTE incidence in the general population, none have been proven to show significant prognostic value in early and accurate VTE prediction among TB patients. This study aims to investigate the accuracy of general RAMs in prediction of VTE incidence in the population of TB-positive patients. Methods: The following survey is a retrospective study among patients afflicted with TB, in whom VTE had occurred either during or at the onset of admission. A total number of 865 smear-positive TB cases were recorded in hospital in a 7-year timespan, among which a total sum of 37 patients (67.6% males, age: 56.19 ± 20 years) experienced at least one episode of thromboembolic incidence. We nominated Padua and Geneva RAMs and calculated the scores with regard to their inpatient hospital records. Results: Of 865 adult hospitalized smear-positive TB patients, 37 patients happened to develop VTE in the course of infection, after excluding the unacceptable data. The incidence of VTE was calculated at 4.27%. Of all VTEs, 73% turned out to be deep venous thromboembolism (DVT), 18.9% were pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE), and 8.1% of patients developed both DVT and PTE during the course of disease. Among all cases, 32.4% revealed Geneva score equivalent or >3. It conveys the meaning that these patients were at greater risk for VTE development and were indicated to receive prophylactic medication. Similarly, Padua model was capable of predicting 29.7% cases scoring >4, which is alarming for elevated VTE probability. 21.6% of TB patients, who had developed VTE during the course of their disease eventually passed away. Conclusion: Our statistics show minimal positive predictive value for Padua and Geneva RAMs, which are seemingly in sharp contrast with the excellent validation of these models verified by numerous surveys in general population. This fact could be attributable to failing to consider TB, or in general chronic infections, as independent indicators of VTE incidence. These findings indicate the need for revising the presenting RAMs or establishing a separate RAM for VTE prediction in TB patients, resembling the VTE risk assessment model for cancer patients.

Hemoptysis Resolution with Rituximab in Behçet's Disease: A Case Report.

Behçet's disease (BD) is a multisystem, progressive, and inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology. Vasculitis is believed to underlie various clinical manifestations of BD and is known to be one of the main causes of death due to BD, in cases of large vessel involvement. The current study is done in order to examine the effects of rituximab on the patient's debilitating clinical manifestations, as a result of not responding to the standard treatment regimens. The present case is a 28-year-old female patient with BD associated vasculitis. She was referred to the respiratory referral center, chiefly complaining of intermittent episodes of massive hemoptysis. She had also recurrent oral and genital ulcers, and difficulty in walking, despite considering the common treatment approaches for BD. Our patient received two courses of rituximab in combination with intravenous methylprednisolone. Over six months follow-up period from the date of treatment initiation with rituximab, symptoms of BD such as recurrent hemoptysis and aphthous ulcers were reduced in both frequency and severity. Lower limb weakness and difficulty in walking were improved as well. To summarize, rituximab appears to be an effective alternative for treatment-resistant vasculitis in BD patients.

COVID-19 and Vaccine-Induced Thrombosis.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a highly contagious infectious disease, has had a catastrophic effect on the world's demographics resulting in more than 2.9 million deaths worldwide till January 2021. It can lead to systemic multi-organ complications; in particular, venous and arterial thromboembolism risk is significantly increased. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) occurs in 22.7% of patients with COVID-19 in the ICU and 8% in non-ICU hospitalized patients. Studies evaluating thromboprophylaxis strategies in patients with COVID-19 are needed to improve the prevention of VTE. VTE is the most commonly reported thrombotic complication, with higher incidence rates among critically ill patients. Several vaccines have been licensed and are currently used to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, several cases of vaccine-induced thrombosis have been reported. Vaccination remains the most critical measure to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a broad consensus that the benefits of vaccination greatly outweigh the potential risks of rare vaccine side effects, such as vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT). Therefore, the importance of vaccination should be emphasized. This statement aims to focus on VITT.

Correlation of Echocardiographic and Right Heart Catheterization Estimations of Pulmonary Artery Systolic Pressure.

Background: Pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) is one of the most important and valuable markers in cardiovascular disease, measured by right heart catheterization (RHC) as the gold standard diagnostic modality. However, due to several limitations, such as invasiveness, lack of repeatability, and high health costs, echocardiographic estimation of PAP has been used to substitute RHC for diagnosis and monitoring of this disease. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation of echocardiographic and RHC estimations of systolic PAP. Materials and Methods: In this study, patients, who were referred to Masih Daneshvari Hospital in Tehran, Iran, evaluated by RHC and echocardiography, were selected. The median PAP (mPAP) and systolic PAP (sPAP) for each modality, time interval between the two modalities, sex, and age were extracted from the patients' records. The RHC mPAP data was used for categorization of patients as pulmonary hypertension, while the sPAP data of two modalities was used to assess correlations and define a cut-off point by the ROC analysis. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 24, and the level of statistical significance was less than 0.05. Results: Seventy-six patients, including 31 males (40.8%) and 45 females (59.2%) with the mean age of 45±14 years, were evaluated in this study. The mean sPAP was 71.98±30.22 mmHg when measured by RHC and 69.75±26.03 mmHg when measured by echocardiography (correlation coefficient=0.805; P<0.001). Agreement between the two measurements was 97%, and the accuracy of echocardiography was 43%. By considering 40 mmHg as the cutoff point, the sensitivity and specificity of echocardiography were estimated at 89.2% and 42.8%, respectively. Based on the ROC analysis, the highest sensitivity (86.7%) and specificity (87.5%) were achieved with an estimated sPAP of 57.5 mmHg. Conclusion: Echocardiography showed a good correlation and agreement with RHC in estimating sPAP; therefore, it is appropriate for screening of patients because of high sensitivity. However, for diagnosis confirmation, monitoring, and follow-up of pulmonary hypertension via echocardiography, high specificity is needed, which can be achieved by considering sPAP of 57.5 mmHg as the cutoff value for pulmonary hypertension.

Remdesivir associated sinus bradycardia in patients with COVID-19: A prospective longitudinal study.

Background: Remdesivir is effective against SARS-Cov-2 with little evidence of its adverse effect on the cardiac system. The aim of the present study is investigating the incidence of bradycardia in COVID-19 patients treated with Remdesivir. Methods: This prospective longitudinal study was conducted in a tertiary center on COVID-19 patients for Remdesivir therapy. The objectives were to investigate the incidence of sinus bradycardia, and also the association between their demographics, underlying diseases, and the disease severity with developing bradycardia in COVID-19 patients treated with Remdesivir. Results: Of 177 patients, 44% were male. The mean (±standard deviation) age of patients was 49.79 ± 15.16 years old. Also, 33% were hospitalized due to more severe symptoms. Oxygen support was required for all hospitalized subjects. A total of 40% of the patients had comorbidities, with the most common comorbidity being hypertension. The overall incidence of bradycardia (heart rate<60 bpm) in patients receiving Remdesivir was 27%, of whom 70% had extreme bradycardia (heart rate <50 bpm). There was also a statistically significant reduction in heart rate after five doses of Remdesivir compared to the baseline heart rates. In the multivariable model, none of the covariates including age above 60 years, female sex, CRP>50 mg/L, O2 saturation<90%, underlying cardiovascular disease, hypertension and diabetes mellitus, and beta-blockers were associated with Remdesivir-induced bradycardia. No association was found between the COVID-19 severity indicators and bradycardia. Conclusion: As sinus bradycardia is a prevalent adverse cardiac effect of Remdesivir, it is recommended that all COVID-19 patients receiving Remdesivir, be evaluated for heart rate based on examination; and in the case of bradyarrhythmia, cardiac monitoring should be performed during administration to prevent adverse drug reactions.

Intermediate-Dose versus Standard-Dose Prophylactic Anticoagulation in Patients with COVID-19 Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit: 90-Day Results from the INSPIRATION Randomized Trial.

BACKGROUND: Thrombotic complications are considered among the main extrapulmonary manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The optimal type and duration of prophylactic antithrombotic therapy in these patients remain unknown. METHODS: This article reports the final (90-day) results of the Intermediate versus Standard-dose Prophylactic anticoagulation In cRitically-ill pATIents with COVID-19: An opeN label randomized controlled trial (INSPIRATION) study. Patients with COVID-19 admitted to intensive care were randomized to intermediate-dose versus standard-dose prophylactic anticoagulation for 30 days, irrespective of hospital discharge status. The primary efficacy outcome was a composite of adjudicated venous or arterial thrombosis, treatment with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), or all-cause death. The main safety outcome was major bleeding. RESULTS: Of 600 randomized patients, 562 entered the modified intention-to-treat analysis (median age [Q1, Q3]: 62 [50, 71] years; 237 [42.2%] women), of whom 336 (59.8%) survived to hospital discharge. The primary outcome occurred in 132 (47.8%) of patients assigned to intermediate dose and 130 (45.4%) patients assigned to standard-dose prophylactic anticoagulation (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.21, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.95-1.55, p = 0.11). Findings were similar for other efficacy outcomes, and in the landmark analysis from days 31 to 90 (HR: 1.59, 95% CI: 0.45-5.06). There were 7 (2.5%) major bleeding events in the intermediate-dose group (including 3 fatal events) and 4 (1.4%) major bleeding events in the standard-dose group (none fatal) (HR: 1.82, 95% CI: 0.53-6.24). CONCLUSION: Intermediate-dose compared with standard-dose prophylactic anticoagulation did not reduce a composite of death, treatment with ECMO, or venous or arterial thrombosis at 90-day follow-up.

Dexter versus sinister deep vein thrombosis: which is the more sinister? Findings from the NRITLD DVT registry.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a major health problem. Despite the wealth of studies on its epidemiology, few have described the thrombus sidedness and particularly the association of thrombus sidedness with clinical presentation and subsequent complications. This article reviews current knowledge regarding this topic and in light of recent data from a large prospective study. This is the first report from the prospective National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease DVT registry. Patients with ultrasound-confirmed symptomatic DVT were enrolled, and thrombus sidedness was investigated in each case. Computed tomography pulmonary angiography was used to diagnose coexisting pulmonary embolism (PE) in DVT patients with suggestive symptoms. Embolic burden score was calculated for those with PE. From the total of 100 patients, 45 had left-sided DVT, 41 had right-sided DVT, and 14 had bilateral DVT. Presenting symptoms and comorbidities were comparable, except for cancer, which was more common in those with right-sided involvement (either right-sided or bilateral DVT; P = 0.004). Compared with those with left-sided DVT, PE happened more frequently in right-sided DVT patients. Right-sided DVT patients also had a higher rate of massive PE ( P = 0.03) and a greater mean embolic burden (13.32 ± 1.63 versus 6.05 ± 1.06; P = 0.001). These findings support raised awareness for global reconsideration of the assumption of complete identicalness of right-sided and left-sided DVT. Although future studies are needed to better elucidate epidemiological and prognostic differences based on the thrombus sidedness, our preliminary findings suggest that the two are not completely identical and right-sided DVT might be more ominous.

Coronavirus disease 2019 outcomes in heart transplant recipients: a single-center case series.

BACKGROUND: With the rapidly expanding pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2, a chronic immunosuppressed state in solid organ transplant recipients is a concern. We reported coronavirus disease 2019 in heart transplant recipients and described the patients' course from diagnosis to either hospital admission or improvement in symptoms. CASE PRESENTATION: This study retrospectively identified 13 white (Iranian) heart transplant patients with coronavirus disease 2019 between December 2019 and October 2020. The mean age of patients was 43.7 years (19-65 years); seven (70%) were men. Laboratory and treatment data were collected for those admitted or managed as outpatients. Outcomes were also recorded for all patients. This report demonstrates a range of symptoms, clinical severity, and disease course in heart transplant recipients with coronavirus disease 2019, including ten hospitalized patients and three patients, managed entirely in the outpatient setting. One patient passed away, and none of them experienced an episode of clinically overt rejection. CONCLUSIONS: We would like to emphasize the importance of being alert in these patients to consider testing in a broad range of clinical presentations and gathering more data for better management.

Superior vena cava obstruction and pulmonary artery involvement as rare findings of immunoglobulin G4-related disease.

We describe a case of immunoglobulin G4-related lung disease presenting as chronic pulmonary hypertension with involvement of right pulmonary artery and superior vena cava. Immunoglobulin G4- related disease is a rare systemic sclerosing disease with autoimmune entity that causes fibrotic, often mass-like manifestations that variably affect different organ systems and can be mistaken with other disorders. Timely diagnosis requires awareness on the part of clinicians and pathologists as well as radiologists to the variable manifestations of this newly recognized disorder. .

Angioembolization in massive hemoptysis for a patient with acute coronary syndrome and history of hydatid cyst.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) or hydatid disease is a zoonosis caused by ingestion of the eggs of the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus. Larger cysts can cause symptoms by compressing surrounding tissues. Large cysts can also rupture and cause sudden onset of cough, fever, hypersensitivity reactions, and massive hemoptysis. We report a case of hydatid cyst, which caused massive hemoptysis after an urgent percutaneous coronary intervention and was successfully controlled with bronchial artery embolization. .

Evaluation of cardiomyopathy diagnosis in heart transplant recipients: comparison of echocardiographic and pathologic classification.

BACKGROUND: Definite diagnosis of cardiomyopathy types can be challenging in end-stage disease process. New growing data have suggested that there is inconsistency between echocardiography and pathology in defining type of cardiomyopathy before and after heart transplantation. The aim of the present study was to compare the pre-heart transplant echocardiographic diagnosis of cardiomyopathy with the results of post-transplant pathologic diagnosis. RESULTS: In this retrospective cross-sectional clinicopathological study, 100 consecutive patients have undergone heart transplantation in Masih-Daneshvari hospital, Tehran, Iran, between 2010 and 2019. The mean age of patients was 40 ± 13 years and 79% of patients were male. The frequency of different types of cardiomyopathy was significantly different between two diagnostic tools (echocardiography versus pathology, P < 0.001). On the other hand, in 24 patients, the results of echocardiography as regard to the type of cardiomyopathy were inconsistent with pathologic findings. CONCLUSION: Based on the findings of the present study, it could be concluded that there is a significant difference between echocardiographic and pathologic diagnosis of cardiomyopathy; therefore, it is necessary to use additional tools for definite diagnosis of cardiomyopathy like advanced cardiac imaging or even endomyocardial biopsy before heart transplantation to reach an appropriate treatment strategy.