Use of Electronic Messages in the Follow-Up of Patients With Heart Failure: Randomized Pilot Study.

Heart Failure (HF) has been ide.epsied as an important public health problem, with high morbidity and mortality, despite advances in current therapy. New strategies are demanded to reduce the number of hospitalizations and deaths. Telemedicine approaches could improve the management of patients with cardiovascular conditions. Sixty patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) were randomized to this pilot study. Weekly electronic messages were sent for 1 year. The use of telemedicine was effective instrument for the evolutionary follow-up of patients with HFrEF during the COVID-19 pandemic, but did not demonstrate an impact on the reduction of cardiovascular outcomes or hospitalization for HF. REBEC - Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials ide.epsier RBR-5q6x56k. Monitoring heart disease patients via WhatsApp during the COVID-19 pandemic. Available from http://www.ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-5q6x56k/.

Graves' disease inducing a massive cardiac tamponade.

A 23-year-old woman was diagnosed with Graves' disease 5 months ago with decompensated thyroid function, for which she is taking thiamazole and propranolol. She developed progressive respiratory dyspnoea [New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III] and frequent palpitations. On emergency admission, the patient was tachypnoeic, hypotensive (77/54 mm Hg) and tachycardic (120 beats per minute), with an oxygen saturation of 94%. She also presented with cold, swollen and shaky extremities, with extended capillary filling time, and a significant reduction in heart sounds. Echocardiogram showed massive pericardial effusion compatible with cardiac tamponade. Pericardiocentesis was performed, with a drainage of 1420 mL serosanguinolent fluid, with prompt haemodynamic recovery. Analysis of the pericardial fluid showed exudates. A diagnosis of pericardial effusion secondary to Graves' disease was determined and corticotherapy, lithium carbonate, cholestyramine and phenobarbital were prescribed. An oral iodine-131 was performed and the patient showed reasonable control of the clinical manifestations of hyperthyroidism. After 3 months, the patient showed no symptoms of hyperthyroidism and a new echocardiogram revealed a significant reduction in pericardial effusion.

Rivaroxaban Versus Warfarin in Patients with Mechanical Heart Valves: Open-Label, Proof-of-Concept trial-The RIWA study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To date, vitamin K antagonists are the only available oral anticoagulants in patients with mechanical heart valves. In this way, we developed a pilot trial with rivaroxaban. METHODS:  The RIWA study was a proof-of-concept, open-label, randomized clinical trial and was designed to assess the incidence of thromboembolic and bleeding events of the rivaroxaban-based strategy (15 mg twice daily) in comparison to dose-adjusted warfarin. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio and were followed prospectively for 90 days. RESULTS:  A total of 72 patients were enrolled in the present study. Of these, 44 patients were randomized: 23 patients were allocated to the rivaroxaban group and 21 to the warfarin group. After 90 days of follow-up, the primary outcome occurred in one patient (4.3%) in the rivaroxaban group and three patients (14.3%) in the warfarin group (risk ratio [RR] 0.27; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.02-2.85; P = 0.25). Minor bleeding (without discontinuation of medical therapy) occurred in six patients (26.1%) in the rivaroxaban group versus six patients (28.6%) in the warfarin group (RR 0.88; 95% CI 0.23-3.32; P = 0.85). One patient in the warfarin group died from myocardial infarction. No cases of hemorrhagic stroke, valve thrombosis, peripheral embolic events, or new intracardiac thrombus were related in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: In this pilot study, rivaroxaban 15 mg twice daily had thromboembolic and bleeding events similar to warfarin in patients with mechanical heart valves. These data confirm the authors' proof-of-concept and suggest that a larger trial with a similar design is not unreasonable. CLINICALTRIAL. GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT03566303.

Rivaroxaban versus Warfarin in Patients with Mechanical Heart Valve: Rationale and Design of the RIWA Study.

INTRODUCTION: Mechanical heart valves (MHV) are extremely durable, but they require permanent use of anticoagulation to prevent thromboembolic events. The only approved therapeutic options are vitamin K antagonists (VKAs), such as warfarin. As a drug class, clinical management is difficult, therefore new alternatives need to be evaluated. METHODS: RIWA is a phase II/III, prospective, open-label, randomized, pilot study designed to investigate oral rivaroxaban 15 mg twice daily compared with dose-adjusted warfarin for the prevention of stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic) and systemic embolism in patients with MHV, from August 2018 to December 2019. Patients will undergo transesophageal echocardiography at the beginning and the end of the study (follow-up time 90 days). On an explanatory basis, all events will be analyzed, including stroke, peripheral systemic embolism, valve thrombosis, significant bleeding and death. DISCUSSION: Warfarin and similar VKAs are standard therapy for patients with an MHV. Even with the appropriate use of therapy, the incidence of thromboembolic events is high at 1-4% per year. Furthermore, bleeding risk is significant, ranging from 2 to 9% per year. The new frontier to be overcome in relation to use of the new oral anticoagulants is undoubtedly in patients with MHV. A significant portion of people with MHV worldwide will benefit if noninferiority of these new agents is confirmed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03566303. Recruitment Status: Recruiting. First Posted: 25 June 2018. Last Update Posted: 25 June 2018.

Usefulness and Safety of Rivaroxaban in Patients Following Isolated Mitral Valve Replacement With a Mechanical Prosthesis.

Rivaroxaban has previously been tested in experimental and animal models with encouraging results. We prospectively selected seven patients between May 2017 and January 2018 who underwent isolated mitral valve replacement with a mechanical prosthesis and had unstable INR control at least 3 months after surgery. An intervention of rivaroxaban 15mg was then administered twice daily for a period of 90days. No patient presented intracardiac thrombus, reversible ischemic neurological deficit, ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, and hospitalization or death during 3 months of follow-up. Two patients eradicated the presence of spontaneous echo contrast. Mean and peak pressure gradients, peak velocity, effective orifice area, and PHT were similar before and after the intervention. In conclusion, the use of rivaroxaban for 90days in seven patients after replacement of mitral valve with the mechanical prosthesis did not present thromboembolic or bleeding events (NCT02894307).

Bacteriúria assintomática em mulheres diabéticas: revisão sistemática / Asymptomatic bacteriuria in diabetic women: systematic review

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: A infecção do trato urinário (ITU) é uma doença frequente e na ausência de sintomas denomina-se bacteriúria assintomática (BA). O manuseio da BA em pacientes diabéticas é controverso, por esta razão o objetivo deste estudo foi discutir os achados na literatura que discorrem sobre BA em mulheres diabéticas e o manuseio desta condição clínica.CONTEÚDO: Revisão sistemática da literatura no Medline,LILACS e Scielo, no período de 1997 a 2012, utilizando-se como descritores: "asymptomatic bacteriuria and diabetes". A prevalência de BA é três vezes maior em mulheres diabéticas do que em não diabéticas. Vários fatores de risco para BA em mulheres com diabetes têm sido sugeridos, incluindo idade, intercurso sexual e duração da doença. A bactéria mais frequentemente encontrada é a Escherichia coli. Quanto à questão de a BA poder levar a perda de função renal ou hipertensão arterial sistêmica, os estudos com maior follow-up concluem que não houve diferença significativa após análise multivariada entre os grupos de mulheres diabéticas com e sem BA. Quanto à taxa de incidência de ITU quando comparados os grupos com BA tratados com antibióticos versus controle,também não houve diferença significativa com o agravante de ocorrência de bactérias mais resistentes como causa de novas ITU.CONCLUSÃO: Em vista do tratamento da BA, em longo prazo,não diminuir a quantidade de episódios de ITU sintomática, pielonefrites agudas e internações em mulheres diabéticas, o screening e o tratamento da BA não devem ser recomendados.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common disease and, in the absence of symptoms, is called asymptomatic bacteriuria (AB). The management of BA in diabetic female patients is controversial. The aim of this study was to discuss findings in literature that are related to AB in diabetic women and to management of this condition.CONTENTS: A systematic review of the literature in Medline, LILACS and Scielo in the period from 1997 to 2012, using descriptors such as "asymptomatic bacterinuria and diabetes" was performed. The prevalence of AB is three times greater in diabetic than in non-diabetic women. Several risk factors for AB in women with diabetes have been suggested, such as age; sexual intercourse and disease duration. The most often found bacteria in AB is Escherichia coli. Cohort studies with longer follow-up did not show that AB could lead to loss of renal function and/or hypertension when they compared groups of diabetic women with and without AB. Regarding the incidence of new UTI episodes, clinical trials showed no differences when compared AB group treated with antibiotics versus AB group treated with placebo. Also, there was no significant difference with the occurrence of more resistant bacteria as a cause of new UTI. CONCLUSION: The treatment of AB does not decrease the number of episodes of symptomatic UTI, acute pyelonephritis, and hospitalization in diabetic women in the long run. For this reason, screening and treatment of AB in diabetic women should not be recommended.