Cardiovascular outcomes of sodium-glucose Co-transporter 2 inhibitors use after myocardial infarction: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Patients who had acute myocardial infarction are at high risk of negative cardiac outcomes and previous SGLT2i landmark trials excluded these patients. It therefore remains unclear if SGLT2i is safe and confers beneficial cardiovascular outcomes after acute myocardial infarction. METHODS: We systematically reviewed randomized controlled trials that evaluated the outcomes of adding SGLT2i to conventional post-myocardial infarction care. Random-effects model meta-analysis via RevMan 5.4 was done on data extracted from pooled 11,204 patients. RESULTS: SGLT2i use after acute myocardial infarction was significantly associated with reduced heart failure hospitalization (OR: 0.77, 95%CI: 0.62-0.96, p=0.02), but was not associated with a reduction in all-cause mortality (OR: 1.05, 95%CI: 0.77-1.43, p=0.75), cardiac-related death (OR: 1.04, 95%CI: 0.83-1.30, p=0.76), or major adverse cardiac events (OR: 0.90, 95%CI: 0.77-1.05, p=0.18). CONCLUSION: SGLT2 inhibitor therapy after acute myocardial infarction is safe and is associated with a reduced risk of heart failure hospitalization, but not with all-cause mortality.

Race and Gender on the Mortality of Giant Cell Arteritis in Hospitalized Patients: A 15-Year National Inpatient Study.

BACKGROUND: Critical appraisal of mortality in giant cell arteritis (GCA) through a racial lens is imperative as gender and racial disparities remain a global healthcare concern. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the impact of race and gender on the mortality of GCA in United States (US)-hospitalized patients. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from January 2003 to December 2018 was searched to identify all patients aged >18 years hospitalized with giant cell arteritis. Patients' baseline characteristics were summarized using descriptive statistics. Inferential statistics were done for categorical and continuous variables. Multivariate logistic regression, adjusting for patient and hospital-level cofounders was performed to find an association between race and outcomes of interest. RESULTS: Over the 15-year study period, a total of 8,352 patients (72.7% White, 14.5% Black or African American, 7.6% Hispanic, 2.2% Asian, 0.4% Alaska Native, and 2.6% under-represented populations) were hospitalized for GCA. The mean age at diagnosis was 73.6 ± 0.12 years. Women represented 71.9% of GCA patients and had a lower risk of mortality (OR 0.463, 95% CI: 0.235 - 0.912, p <0.05). Patients with GCA were hospitalized for an average of 4.64 days ± 0.04 days and 0.55% died. The mortality rate was lowest in Black or African American (0.1%) populations and highest among Alaska Native patients (8%). Mortality was 68% lower in those who had temporal artery biopsy (OR 0.32, 95% CI: 0.16-0.64, p <0.05). CONCLUSION: GCA disproportionally affected female patients, but mortality was higher in male patients. Alaska Native patients had the least number of hospitalizations but the highest in-hospital mortality rate. Black or African Americans had the lowest mortality rate.

Outcomes among heart failure patients hospitalized for acute pulmonary embolism and COVID-19 infection: Insight from the National Inpatient Sample.

There is paucity of data regarding the outcomes of hospitalized acute pulmonary embolism (PE) patients with heart failure (HF) and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. We utilized the 2020 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) Database in conducting a retrospective cohort study to investigate the outcomes of hospitalized acute PE patients with HF and COVID-19, looking at its impact on in-hospital mortality, thrombolysis, and thrombectomy utilization as well as hospital length of stay (LOS). A total of 23,413 hospitalized acute PE patients with HF were identified in our study, of which 1.26% (n = 295/23,413) had COVID-19 infection. Utilizing a stepwise survey multivariable logistic regression model that adjusted for confounders, COVID-19 infection among acute PE patients with HF was found to be an independent predictor of overall in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.77; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15-6.67; p = 0.023) and thrombolysis utilization (aOR: 5.52; 95% CI, 2.57-11.84; p ≤ 0.001) compared to those without COVID-19. However, there were comparable rates of thrombectomy utilization and LOS among acute PE patients with HF regardless of the COVID-19 infection status. On subgroup analysis, patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction was found to be associated with increased risk for in-hospital mortality (aOR: 3.89; 95% CI, 1.33-11.39; p = 0.013) and thrombectomy utilization (aOR: 4.58; 95% CI, 1.08-19.41; p = 0.042), whereas both HF subtypes were associated with increased thrombolysis utilization. COVID-19 infection among acute PE patients with HF was associated with higher over-all in-hospital mortality and increased thrombolysis utilization but had comparable hospital LOS as well as thrombectomy utilization.

NEW-ONSET CARDIAC AMYLOIDOSIS WHILE IN REMISSION FROM SYSTEMIC AL AMYLOIDOSIS.

In light chain amyloidosis, a reduction in dFLC to below 40 mg/l is a prerequisite for organ recovery as nearly half of the patients who achieve very good partial haematological responses have improvement in the function of the involved organ. We describe a patient who developed new-onset cardiac amyloidosis despite a post-treatment reduction in dFLC to <10 mg/l. LEARNING POINTS: Patients with light chain (AL) amyloidosis may develop new cardiac involvement despite achieving haematological remission.In patients with AL amyloidosis, a very good partial haematological response (dFLC <10 mg/l) does not obviate the need for regular cardiac monitoring.

Vertebral osteomyelitis and epidural abscess due to Listeria monocytogenes - case report and review of literature.

We describe a case of native vertebral osteomyelitis (NVO) secondary to Listeria monocytogenes in a patient with polymyalgia rheumatica receiving chronic steroids. Treatment required surgical debridement of the epidural phlegmon and combination therapy with intravenous ampicillin and gentamicin.

Sleep Deprivation Is Associated With Increased Risk for Hypertensive Heart Disease: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Literature documenting the in-hospital cardiovascular outcomes of sleep deprivation (SD) patients is scarce. We aimed to compare inpatient cardiovascular outcomes in patients with sleep deprivation and those without sleep deprivation. METHOD: We queried the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from 2016 to 2019 to conduct a retrospective observational study. Using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes, we identified patients with sleep deprivation (SD) diagnosis and compared them to their counterparts without sleep deprivation (NSD). The cardiovascular outcomes of interest were hypertensive heart disease (HHD), atrial fibrillation (AF), and ST-segment and non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI and NSTEMI, respectively). We used multivariable regression analysis to unearth the relationship between sleep deprivation and cardiovascular disease. RESULTS: There were 28,484,087 patients admitted during the study period, among which 2.1% (6,08,059) with a mean age of 59 (sd=19) years had a sleep deprivation diagnosis unrelated to medical or psychiatric illness. Of these, 75.7% were Caucasians, 11.5% were Blacks, and 8% were Hispanics. Individuals with sleep deprivation had a higher odds ratio (OR) of HHD, i.e., OR=1.3 (1.29-1.31), p<0.0001. The odds of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) was 0.9 (0.9-1.92), p=0.45; heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) was 0.98 (0.97-1.01), p=0.31; and the odds of the SD population for AF was 0.9 (0.89-1.03), p=0.11. CONCLUSION: Sleep deprivation seems to be more prevalent in the Caucasian population. Individuals with sleep deprivation have a higher risk of hypertensive heart disease but similar outcomes to the general population in terms of AF, HFrEF, and HFpEF.

Causes of Dental Trauma: Results of Findings Among Patients in a Secondary Oral Healthcare Center, Jos, Nigeria.

Background: Dental trauma is a major type of traumatic dental injury (TDI) and a common presentation in many oral health facilities in Nigeria. Despite the high prevalence of TDIs, causes of dental trauma are yet to be fully investigated among Nigerians. Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the types of dental trauma, aetiology, and the causes of dental trauma as it relates with sociodemographic characteristics among dental patients. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study among patients attending a secondary oral healthcare facility in the North Central city of Jos between January 2019 and December 2020. The sociodemographic features of the patients include patients' complaints, clinical and social history, result of simple clinical oral examinations, and diagnoses of dental trauma. The classification of Ellis and Davey (1970) was used to classify dental trauma for this study. Results: One hundred and seventy-six (6.7%) patients presented with dental trauma involving 281 teeth. The mean age was 37.54 ± 2.16 years. The most common cause of dental trauma in 48 (27.3%) patients was bone cracking, followed by falls in 33 (18.8%), road traffic accidents (RTAs) in 26 (14.8%), and bottle opening with teeth in 26 (14.8%). Bone cracking was the major cause of dental trauma in 18 (31.0%) educated and 2 (28.6%) non-educated patients. Among the patients, 118 (67.1%) presented with single traumatized tooth. Permanent anterior teeth 151 (53.74%) were more involved, and class 2 trauma involving enamel and dentinal structure was the most common presentation. Conclusion: Oral health awareness campaign on the damaging effect of bone cracking and use of tooth for opening metal caps of bottled drinks among adult population will reduce the prevalence of dental trauma among many adult Nigerians.

Ebola virus disease in the eyes of a rural, agrarian community in Western Nigeria: a mixed method study.

BACKGROUND: Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a severe hemorrhagic disease caused by Ebola virus. Several outbreaks have been reported in Africa and often originated from remote agrarian communities where there are enormous misconceptions of the disease, refusal of early isolation and quarantine, and unsafe burial rites practices which aggravates the epidemics. It is on this basis that this study was conducted to (assess) the knowledge, perceptions, beliefs and preventive practices against EVD in a predominantly agrarian rural community in Southwest Nigeria. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in Igbogila town, Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria in the latter part of 2014 during the EVD outbreak. Mixed methods were used for data collection. Quantitative data collection was done using a pre-tested interviewer administered questionnaire. Four hundred and seven respondents selected by multi-stage sampling technique were interviewed. Descriptive and inferential statistics were done, and the level of significance was set at 0.05. Qualitative data collection involved four focus group discussions a year after the epidemic was declared over in the country. The discussions were recorded, transcribed and analyzed along major themes. RESULTS: All respondents were aware of EVD with radio and television being the major sources of information. Knowledge of the disease was however very poor with many misconceptions and it was significantly influenced by educational level of respondent. EVD survivors will be welcomed back into the community by few residents (36.8%) and a much fewer proportion (27.2%) will freely entertain a survivor in their house. Most would prefer local herbalists over orthodox medical practitioners to care for their loved one in case they contract EVD. Although respondents knew that burying a victim is dangerous, they opposed cremation. CONCLUSION: There was poor knowledge of EVD with a lot of misconceptions. Community members were not pro-active about prevention with dire consequences in the event of an outbreak. Continuous public education should be done via mass media, traditional institutions and other community-based channels as part of emergency preparedness.