Percutaneous Intracardiac Mass Extraction in High Surgical-Risk Patients.

Large intracardiac masses including tumors, thrombi, and vegetations result in detrimental embolic or obstructive sequelae and present a management dilemma. Open heart surgery, the traditional approach, may not be an option for many patients with a prohibitive surgical risk due to multiple comorbidities. Recently, percutaneous options have emerged with reported success in extracting such intracardiac masses. A 42-year-old female with history of advanced primary sclerosing cholangitis with decompensated liver cirrhosis causing ascites and variceal bleed presented to the emergency department with fatigue, subjective fevers, chills and melena. Laboratory results revealed neutrophil-predominant leukocytosis and normocytic anemia, and blood cultures were positive for Candida albicans. Electrocardiography showed sinus tachycardia. Chest X-ray was unremarkable. She underwent packed red blood cell transfusion and esophageal banding for variceal bleeding. Transthoracic echocardiogram revealed normal left ventricular ejection fraction and no wall motion abnormalities. A right atrial mobile mass measuring approximately 1.0 × 3.0 cm was noted. Multidisciplinary heart team discussion concluded that while the mass posed a high embolic risk, the patient had a prohibitive risk for surgical intervention. Successful percutaneous removal of the mass using Penumbra system device (Penumbra Incorporated, Alameda, CA) was accomplished. This case report details the procedure and outcomes, as well as presents a literature review.

Abiraterone-induced refractory hypokalaemia and torsades de pointes in a patient with metastatic castration-resistant prostate carcinoma: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Abiraterone, an androgen deprivation therapy, has been used in the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). It has been associated with increased risks of hypokalaemia and cardiac disorders. We report a case of torsades de pointes (TdP) associated with abiraterone use and refractory hypokalaemia in a man with mCRPC. CASE SUMMARY: A 78-year-old man with mCRPC presented to the emergency room for generalized weakness. Laboratory results revealed a potassium level of 2.2 mmol/L (3.5-5.0), magnesium level of 2.4 mg/dL (1.6-2.5), and normal kidney and hepatic functions. Initial electrocardiogram showed atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular rate of 106 b.p.m., frequent premature ventricular contractions, and a QTc of 634 ms. The patient had multiple episodes of TdP, became pulseless and underwent advanced cardiac life support, including defibrillation. Despite a total of 220 mEq of intravenous potassium chloride, his potassium level only improved to 2.8 mmol/L. He received spironolactone and amiloride to promote urinary potassium reabsorption in addition to hydrocortisone, in an effort to reduce abiraterone's effect on increasing mineralocorticoid synthesis. DISCUSSION: Abiraterone has been widely used in mCRPC since its approval by the Food and Drug Adminstration in 2011. Regulatory guidelines and standardized close QTc and electrolyte monitoring in patients may help prevent fatal arrhythmias associated with abiraterone.

Invasive Group A streptococcal postpartum endometritis associated with multi-organ infarctions: an uncommon case presentation and literature review.

Background: Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome (STSS) is a serious condition that can arise from streptococcal postpartum endometritis. It is associated with a substantial increase in mortality rate and can rarely result in multiorgan infarction. Early recognition plays a vital role in patients' outcome. Objective: To report a case of complicated STSS and review the literature for previous case reports of streptococcal postpartum endometritis to determine if STSS diagnostic criteria (published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) were fulfilled. Case presentation: This is a 41-year-old woman who presented 5 days after an uncomplicated vaginal delivery with endometritis complicated by invasive group A ß-hemolytic streptococcus (GAS) infection and confirmed toxic shock syndrome. The patient was initially admitted to the critical care unit due to hemodynamic compromise requiring intravenous (IV) fluids, IV antibiotic therapy with penicillin and clindamycin, and IV immunoglobulin therapy. The patient subsequently developed multi-organ infarctions, acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring noninvasive respiratory support, and severe reactive arthritis. Literature review revealed 15 case reports of GAS postpartum endometritis, five met criteria for confirmed STSS. One patient died from severe septic shock leading to cardiopulmonary arrest. Thirteen out of 15 cases of postpartum endometritis occurred after uncomplicated vaginal delivery. Conclusion: STSS is a serious and possibly fatal medical condition that requires early diagnosis and treatment to prevent poor patient outcomes and death. Careful consideration to the patient's postpartum clinical presentation with the implementation of an intradisciplinary approach should be utilized.

Reliability, Feasibility, and Patient Acceptance of an Electronic Version of a Multidimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire for Routine Rheumatology Care: Validation and Patient Preference Study.

BACKGROUND: A multidimensional health assessment questionnaire (MDHAQ) that was developed primarily for routine rheumatology care has advanced clinical research concerning disease burden, disability, and mortality in rheumatic diseases. Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3 (RAPID3), an index within the MDHAQ, is the most widely used index to assess rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in clinical care in the United States, and it recognizes clinical status changes in all studied rheumatic diseases. MDHAQ physical function scores are far more significant in the prognosis of premature RA mortality than laboratory or imaging data. However, electronic medical records (EMRs) generally do not include patient questionnaires. An electronic MDHAQ (eMDHAQ), linked by fast healthcare interoperability resources (FIHR) to an EMR, can facilitate clinical and research advances. OBJECTIVE: This study analyzed the reliability, feasibility, and patient acceptance of an eMDHAQ. METHODS: Since 2006, all Rush University Medical Center rheumatology patients with all diagnoses have been asked to complete a paper MDHAQ at each routine care encounter. In April 2019, patients were invited to complete an eMDHAQ at the conclusion of the encounter. Analyses were conducted to determine the reliability of eMDHAQ versus paper MDHAQ scores, arithmetically and by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The feasibility of the eMDHAQ was analyzed based on the time for patient completion. The patient preference for the electronic or paper version was analyzed through a patient paper questionnaire. RESULTS: The 98 study patients were a typical routine rheumatology patient group. Seven paper versus eMDHAQ scores were within 2%, differences neither clinically nor statistically significant. ICCs of 0.86-0.98 also indicated good to excellent reliability. Mean eMDHAQ completion time was a feasible 8.2 minutes. The eMDHAQ was preferred by 72% of patients; preferences were similar according to age and educational level. CONCLUSIONS: The results on a paper MDHAQ versus eMDHAQ were similar. Most patients preferred an eMDHAQ.

Health Disparities Among Hispanics With Rheumatoid Arthritis: Delay in Presentation to Rheumatologists Contributes to Later Diagnosis and Treatment.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate referral and treatment delays by ethnicity/race in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated at an academic rheumatology center. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of all RA patients evaluated at an outpatient clinic between 2011 and 2016 to identify newly diagnosed and naive-to-treatment patients. We determined the durations between symptom onset and first rheumatology visit and time to initiate treatment. Data extraction included referral source, demographics, treatment, and laboratory tests. Routine use of a multidimensional health assessment questionnaire allowed us to calculate baseline RAPID3 (routine assessment of patient index data 3) scores. Comparisons between self-reported ethnicity/race groups were performed. We used logistic regression models to analyze associations between baseline variables and early referral. RESULTS: Data from 152 disease-modifying antirheumatic drug-naive RA patients were included in the study; 35% were white, 37% black, 20% Hispanic, and 8% other. The range in median time to first rheumatology visit was 6 to 8 months for all patient groups, except Hispanic. This group had a median time of 22.7 months (p = 0.01). The referral pattern was considerably variable between-groups; 40% of Hispanic patients were self-referred (p = 0.01). There were no statistically significant between-group differences for time to treatment initiation according to ethnicity/race. RAPID3 scores (p = 0.04) and erythrocyte sedimentation rates (p = 0.01) were significantly higher in the black and Hispanic groups. A high C-reactive protein value at baseline was associated with earlier referral. CONCLUSIONS: There is significant delay in initial presentation to a rheumatologist that was associated with a higher disease severity at presentation, especially for Hispanic patients.

Anterior uveitis in patients with spondyloarthropathies in a single US academic center: a retrospective study.

Uveitis may represent an opportunity to diagnose spondyloarthropathies (SpA) earlier and influence treatment decisions. We describe the percentage of acute anterior uveitis (AAU) in a diverse group of SpA patients seen at one academic setting and compare demographic and clinical characteristics according to the presence of uveitis. We conducted a retrospective study of patients with SpA and AAU (January 2016-June 2017). Patients were identified using ICD-10 and administrative claim codes, diagnoses were confirmed through chart review. Extracted data included demographics, laboratory, clinical data, treatment and Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3 (RAPID3) scores based on Multidimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire (MDHAQ). Baseline description and comparison between the two groups were performed. We included 190 patients, mostly men (59.5%), with a mean age of 45.9 years: 48% with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), 26% with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), 22% with undifferentiated SpA, and 4% with SpA associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Uveitis was identified in 17% of patients, ranging from 25% in AS to 4% in PsA. Time from symptom onset to SpA diagnosis was longer in patients with uveitis (10.9 versus 5.9 years, p < 0.001). A higher percentage of patients with uveitis were HLA-B27 positive (85% versus 67%, p = 0.02). The prevalence of uveitis in our population was 17%, slightly lower than previously reported in the literature. There was a diagnostic delay of about 7 years, significantly longer in patients with uveitis. New screening strategies in collaboration with ophthalmology may lead to earlier diagnosis and better outcomes.

Disease Burden in Osteoarthritis Is Similar to That of Rheumatoid Arthritis at Initial Rheumatology Visit and Significantly Greater Six Months Later.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze disease burden in osteoarthritis (OA) according to Multidimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire (MDHAQ)/Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3 (RAPID3) scores at the initial visit and the 6-month follow-up visit, compared with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as a benchmark for high disease burden. METHODS: All patients with all diagnoses at the Rush University Medical Center Division of Rheumatology complete a paper MDHAQ at all visits, saved as a PDF in the electronic health record. MDHAQ 0-10 scores for physical function, pain, and patient global assessment (compiled into RAPID3 0-30 scores) and additional scales at the initial and 6-month follow-up visits, for new OA and RA patients seen from 2011 to 2017, were compared. OA and RA patients were classified as self-referred or physician-referred, and RA patients were classified as disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD)-naive or having prior-DMARD treatment. Patient groups were compared using t-tests and analysis of variance, adjusted for age, disease duration, body mass index (BMI), education, and ethnicity. RESULTS: Compared with RA patients, OA patients had higher age, BMI, and disease duration. At initial visit, the mean RAPID3 did not differ significantly in OA versus DMARD-naive RA patients, whether self- or physician-referred (range 14.8-16.4 [P = 0.38]), or in all OA patients versus DMARD-naive RA patients versus prior-DMARD RA patients (15.0, 15.7, and 15.8, respectively [P = 0.49]). After 6 months, RAPID3 was improved to 13.3, 10.3, and 10.8, respectively, which represented substantially greater improvement in RA patients than OA patients (P < 0.001). Similar results were seen for most self-reported measures and in adjusted analyses. CONCLUSION: MDHAQ/RAPID3 scores are similar in OA and RA patients at the initial visit, but higher in OA patients than in RA patients 6 months later, reflecting superior RA treatments. The same MDHAQ/RAPID3 allows comparisons of disease burdens in different diseases.