Multimodality Cardiac Imaging in COVID.

Infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, is associated with numerous potential secondary complications. Global efforts have been dedicated to understanding the myriad potential cardiovascular sequelae which may occur during acute infection, convalescence, or recovery. Because patients often present with nonspecific symptoms and laboratory findings, cardiac imaging has emerged as an important tool for the discrimination of pulmonary and cardiovascular complications of this disease. The clinician investigating a potential COVID-related complication must account not only for the relative utility of various cardiac imaging modalities but also for the risk of infectious exposure to staff and other patients. Extraordinary clinical and scholarly efforts have brought the international medical community closer to a consensus on the appropriate indications for diagnostic cardiac imaging during this protracted pandemic. In this review, we summarize the existing literature and reference major societal guidelines to provide an overview of the indications and utility of echocardiography, nuclear imaging, cardiac computed tomography, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging for the diagnosis of cardiovascular complications of COVID.

Kidney Stone History and Adverse Outcomes After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether kidney stone history is associated with adverse outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Kidney stone formers have an increased risk of developing coronary artery disease; however, whether these patients have worse cardiac outcomes is unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We identified adult patients who underwent first-time PCI in Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) Synthetic Derivative from 2008 to 2016 (n = 11,289) and in a nationwide database of Taiwan (NHIRD) from 2005 to 2012 (n = 155,762). Odds ratios (ORs) of 30-day in-hospital mortality and hazard ratios (HRs) of 1-year and 3-year adverse outcomes associated with kidney stone history were estimated using a propensity score approach. RESULTS: Overall, 294 and 12,286 stone formers undergoing PCI were identified in the VUMC and NHIRD, respectively. After matching, stone formers at VUMC were at higher risks of 30-day in-hospital mortality (OR 2.79, 95% CI 1.15-6.69) and 1-year (HR 1.59, 95% CI 1.13-2.24) and 3-year (HR 1.36, 95% CI 1.02-1.81) myocardial infarction. In the NHIRD, kidney stone history was associated with 1-year (HR 1.12, 95% CI 1.03-1.21) and 3-year (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.06-1.22) myocardial infarction. In a sensitivity analysis, stone formers undergoing kidney stone surgery were marginally associated with 30-day in-hospital mortality (OR 1.21, 95% CI 0.99-1.48) and were associated with 3-year myocardial infarction (HR 1.13, 95% CI 1.02-1.25). CONCLUSION: Kidney stone history is associated with poorer cardiac outcomes after PCI. Improving secondary cardiac prevention strategies after PCI may be necessary for patients with a history of kidney stone disease.