Cardiac POCUS: Another Tool in the Armory.

Introduction: This study assessed the educational impact of hybrid cardiac Point of Care Ultrasonography (POCUS) training in a community-based academic setting. Methods: Internal Medicine and Medicine/Pediatrics residents across all post-graduate years (PGY) at a midwestern medical school under-took a structured hybrid (online and hands-on teaching) model of POCUS training. Anonymous surveys with Likert-type scale responses were administered before and after the curriculum. Questions were categorized into domains to assess the residents' interest in learning POCUS, their understanding of fundamental cardiac ultrasound (US) concepts, and their confidence in its application. The authors used Fisher's Exact and t-test, and estimated odds ratios to gauge the impact of the training to achieve net scores above 0 on each domain. Results: A total of 27 and 26 residents completed the pre-and post-training surveys, respectively. Experience with previous cardiac US use showed a positive skew. The training resulted in a significant increase in both, the understanding of the principles, and the residents' confidence in its application. These findings were most significant amongst PGY 2 and 3 residents. Post-training mean scores were similar across all domains for subgroups of PGY level and previous ultrasound experience. Conclusions: Residents displayed greater understanding of the fundamental cardiac ultrasound concepts with improved confidence levels after implementing a structured hybrid teaching model for POCUS. Future studies with objective assessment tools are needed to gauge the clinical impact of POCUS and its adoption rate in clinical practice to guide a recommendation for its incorporation into the residency curriculum.

Contemporary Outcomes and Predictors of Inpatient Mortality for Infective Endocarditis Occurring in Renal Transplant Recipients in the United States.

Renal transplant (RT) recipients are susceptible to infections because of immunosuppression. The literature regarding the epidemiology and outcomes of infective endocarditis (IE) in RT recipients is limited. We analyzed the National Inpatient Sample in the United States to study IE in RT and identify risk factors for inpatient mortality and IE development in RT patients. All patients ≥18 years who had IE with and without RT between 2007 and 2019 were identified from the National Inpatient Sample. The demographics, co-morbidities, length of stay, hospital costs, and mortality of IE patients with RT were compared with IE patients without RT. Predictors of inpatient mortality for RT recipients with IE were analyzed. Between 2007 and 2019, there were 777,245 hospitalizations for IE, of which 3,782 had RT. The IE in RT cohort was younger than the general IE population and had higher proportions of males, non-White races, and Hispanic ethnicity, and higher burden of co-morbidities, but similar inpatient mortality rates. On multivariate analysis, Staphylococcal IE (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2 to 4.3, p = 0.015), stroke (aOR 6.4, 95% CI 2.7 to 15.3, p <0.001), anemia (aOR 2.3, 95% CI 1.3 to 4.0, p = 0.004), and shock (aOR 6.3, 95% CI 3.3 to 11.9, p <0.001) were associated with greater inpatient mortality, whereas Streptococcal endocarditis (aOR 0.37, 95% CI 0.1 to 0.9, p = 0.038) was associated with lower inpatient mortality. In conclusion, RT patients with IE were younger and had more severe co-morbidities compared with IE patients without RT. Staphylococcal IE, presence of shock and stroke worsened the prognosis in these patients.

Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Background: Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) has been reported to be a rare cause of acute coronary syndrome and sudden cardiac death. The clinical presentation of SCAD varies from asymptomatic to sudden death. Pregnancy is associated with SCAD, and autoimmune diseases, especially systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), may play an important role in SCAD etiology. Case Report: A 37-year-old female with hypertension, SLE, a history of preeclampsia with 3 cesarean deliveries, and an active smoking habit presented to the emergency department with chest pain. On arrival, the patient was hypertensive with blood pressure of 152/122 mm Hg and a normal heart rate and respiratory rate. Given the patient's history of SLE and preeclampsia, antiphospholipid antibodies were tested. The anti-ß2-glycoprotein 1 immunoglobulin G concentration was elevated at 30 U/mL, and lupus anticoagulant was positive. Electrocardiogram showed minimum ST elevation in lead V2. Initial troponin was 0.1 ng/mL, with a peak of 54.5 ng/mL after 6 hours. Aspirin 325 mg was administered, and the patient underwent urgent cardiac catheterization. Intravascular angiography showed evidence of intimal flap (mid left anterior descending artery) spontaneous dissection with subintimal hematoma. The angioplasty resulted in successful stent placement in the mid left anterior descending artery. Conclusion: SCAD diagnosis is challenging and requires a high index of suspicion. This case shows the challenge of early diagnosis of SCAD and highlights its association with autoimmune diseases, specifically SLE. Early recognition of this pathology results in better outcomes.

Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return in Adults.

Partial anomalous pulmonary venous return (PAPVR) is a spectrum of congenital cardiovascular abnormalities. It is most commonly found as an incidental finding. However, it can lead to severe pulmonary hypertension depending on the magnitude of the shunt involved. We report a case of a 60-year-old female patient with PAPVR detected incidentally on imaging. We aim to highlight the incidence of PAPVR in adults and to elaborate on its unique association with a duplicated superior vena cava.

Sjogren Syndrome-Associated Autonomic Neuropathy.

Sjogren syndrome (SS) is one of the common autoimmune diseases characterized by dryness of the eyes and mouth described as "xerophthalmia" and "xerostomia," respectively. Affected patients may also experience complex neurological symptoms characterized by extremity paresthesia and pain as well as dizziness and presyncope. In fact, patients may present initially with pure neurological symptoms. Thus, the diagnosis of SS remains a clinical challenge. We report a case here of a patient with primary Sjogren syndrome (pSS) experiencing severe autonomic neuropathy symptoms. A 53-year-old female patient diagnosed with pSS at the age of 30 years presented with a four-month history of palpitations and dizziness. A tilt table test showed positive findings with significant symptomatic orthostatic hypotension. The patient was started on midodrine therapy followed by a beta-blocker with improvement in her symptoms. There was also augmentation of her SS disease management by introducing IV IgG therapy.  The diagnosis of neuropathy in SS is complex and requires a combination of clinical signs and symptoms. This case report focuses on the neurological manifestations of SS, especially the ones related to autonomic neuropathy. We aim to share awareness of the neurological manifestations of patients with pSS and alert physicians that it could be the initial presentation of this systemic disease.

Isolated Right Ventricular Air Embolism.

Vascular air embolism (VAE) is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening event often associated with various procedures and diagnostic tests. Understanding this challenging incident will enable physicians to evaluate, diagnose and manage this incident successfully. We present a case of a 73-year-old male who developed air in the right ventricle after intravenous contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) imaging. We aim at highlighting this challenging clinical scenario and emphasizing ways to assess the risks and implement means to prevent and treat accordingly.

Myocarditis on 18FDG-PET imaging.

Myocarditis is the inflammation of the heart muscle with various clinical presentations and etiology. In this case, we demonstrate the utility of Fluorodeoxyglucose PET scan in identifying its etiology. A 28-year-old female with a history of undifferentiated connective tissue disease and sacroiliitis referred to the cardiology clinic for palpitations. Her symptoms started 3 years ago, were episodic, associated with fatigue, and impaired quality of her life. A resting electrocardiogram revealed sinus tachycardia. Medical workup for sinus tachycardia was unremarkable. Given suspicion for idiopathic myocarditis, a FDG PET using F18 was ordered and revealed diffuse myocardial uptake suggestive of myocarditis. Normal LV systolic function was noted on the echocardiogram. Her tachycardia was successfully treated with ivabradine and diltiazem. She was started on mycophenolate mofetil for myocarditis with improvement in symptoms of tachycardia and fatigue. A repeat FDG PET in follow-up revealed less diffuse uptake with the initiation of therapy. FDG-PET may add value in patients with inappropriate sinus tachycardia found especially if suspicion of underlying connective tissue disease exists. As illustrated in this case, a timely diagnosis could change management decisions as well as significantly impact the quality of life.

Kidney Recovery in Patients With Acute Kidney Injury Treated in Outpatient Hemodialysis or Rehabilitation Facilities.

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: Since January 2017, patients with acute kidney injury requiring dialysis (AKI-D) can be discharged to outpatient dialysis centers for continued hemodialysis (HD) support. We aimed to examine the rate of kidney recovery, time to recovery, and hospitalization-related clinical parameters associated with kidney recovery in patients with AKI-D. STUDY DESIGN: Single-center prospective cohort study. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: 111 adult patients who were admitted to the University of Kentucky Hospital, experienced AKI-D, and were discharged with need of outpatient HD. EXPOSURE: Hospitalization-related clinical parameters were evaluated. OUTCOME: Kidney recovery as a composite of being alive and no longer requiring HD or other form of kidney replacement therapy. ANALYTICAL APPROACH: Discrete-time survival analysis and logistic regression were used to determine adjusted probabilities of kidney recovery at prespecified time points and to evaluate clinical parameters associated with recovery. RESULTS: 45 (41%) patients recovered kidney function, 25 (55.5%) within the first 30 days following discharge, 16 (35.5%) within 30 to 60 days, and 4 (9%) within 60 to 90 days. Adjusted probabilities of recovery were 36.7%, 27.4%, and 6.3%, respectively. Of the remaining patients, 49 (44%) developed kidney failure requiring chronic kidney replacement therapy and 17 (15%) died or went to hospice. Patients who did not recover kidney function were older, had more comorbid conditions, had lower estimated glomerular filtration rates at baseline, and received more blood transfusions during hospitalization when compared with those who recovered kidney function. LIMITATIONS: Selection bias given that patients included in the study were all eligible for AKI management with outpatient HD as part of Medicare/Medicaid services. CONCLUSIONS: At least one-third of AKI-D survivors discharged from an acute care hospital dependent on HD recovered kidney function within the first 90 days of discharge, more commonly in the first 30 days postdischarge. Future studies should elucidate clinical parameters that can inform risk classification and interventions to promote kidney recovery in this vulnerable and growing population.

The Role of Imaging in Diagnosing Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis.

Cardiac amyloidosis is a rare underdiagnosed condition with increasing morbidity and mortality. Its diagnosis is challenging and requires high clinical suspicion. Several diagnostic tools aid in the diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis such as electrocardiogram, echocardiography, and, most importantly, cardiac MRI. A wide range of clinical symptoms is associated with cardiac amyloidosis, with shortness of breath and peripheral edema being the most common presenting complaints. Here, we report a case of transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis and discuss the importance of imaging in establishing the diagnosis.