Management of embolic splenic abscess secondary to aortic valve endocarditis - case report and review of literature.

Background: Splenic abscess is a serious complication associated with infective endocarditis. There is still contradicting evidence regarding the optimal treatment pathway including timing of valve intervention and the approach for managing splenic foci.

Case Presentation: We present a case of a hybrid staged approach in which we successfully performed a laparoscopic splenectomy following percutaneous abscess drainage and a delayed aortic valve replacement.

Emergency CABG for a migrated stent in a COVID-19 positive patient.

Percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) have become a standard of treatment worldwide. Despite high safety rates, iatrogenic complications caused by stent dislodgements do exist in 0.21% of cases and most require emergency coronary artery by-pass grafting (CABG).

Vitamin D binding protein, but not vitamin D or vitamin D-related peptides, is associated with septic shock mortality.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of vitamin D, vitamin D binding protein (VDBP) and vitamin D-related peptides in septic shock patients in relation to hospital mortality.

Methods: This is a single-center, prospective, observational study that included all consecutive patients meeting criteria for septic shock who were admitted to the ICU. VDBP, 25-hydroxy vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D, cathelicidin and beta-defensin levels were determined in blood samples obtained on admission to the ICU.