Differentiation syndrome-induced Myopericarditis in the induction therapy of acute Promyelocytic leukemia: a case report.

Background: All trans retinoic acid (ATRA) has revolutionized the treatment and outcomes of patients with Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL). Induction therapy with ATRA is associated with the rare but potentially fatal complication of differentiation syndrome. While the presentation of this syndrome is varied, myopericarditis as a manifestation of differentiation syndrome is often fatal and rarely reported in literature.

Patients with diabetes mellitus and atrial fibrillation treated with non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants: meta-analysis of eight outcomes in 58 634 patients across four randomized controlled trials.

Aims: Concomitant atrial fibrillation (AF) and diabetes mellitus (DM) increases the risk of stroke and systemic embolic events (SEE). This meta-analysis assessed the benefit/risk balance of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) vs. warfarin, and explored whether there was effect modification by DM or heterogeneity in outcomes between NOACs in patients with and without DM.

Efficacy and safety of edoxaban in patients with diabetes mellitus in the ENGAGE AF-TIMI 48 trial.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is an independent risk factor for stroke and atrial fibrillation. Therefore, the risk/benefit profile of the oral factor Xa inhibitor edoxaban stratified by diabetes is of clinical interest.

Methods: 21,105 patients enrolled in ENGAGE AF-TIMI 48 were stratified into 2 pre-specified groups: without (N = 13,481) and with diabetes (N = 7,624).

Impact of stent diameter on outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention with second-generation drug-eluting stents: Results from a large single-center registry.

Background: In patients treated with bare metal stents and first-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) smaller stent diameter (SD) has been associated with worse long term outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Data on the impact of small SD on outcomes after PCI with second-generation DES is scarce.

Methods: Consecutive patients treated with second-generation DES between 2010 and 2016 were included in a single tertiary center.

Thromboembolism in the Absence of Atrial Fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with thrombus formation in the left atrial appendage and systemic embolic events including ischemic stroke. Cardiogenic thromboembolism can also occur in the absence of clinical AF as a result of various pathological conditions affecting the endocardium. The inconsistent temporal relation between AF and ischemic events has stimulated exploration for factors other than clinical AF that contribute to thromboembolism.

A Review of the Role of Non-Vitamin K Oral Anticoagulants in the Acute and Long-Term Treatment of Venous Thromboembolism.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), which includes both deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism (PE), is a very common disorder with high risk for recurrence and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs), which include dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban, have been shown to be noninferior to conventional anticoagulant therapy for the prevention of recurrent VTE and are associated with more favorable bleeding risk. Evidence from the treatment of VTE with traditional therapy (low molecular weight heparin and vitamin K antagonists) implies that extended or indefinite treatment reduces risk of recurrence.

Cardiac enzyme elevation after coronary revascularization.

CK-MB elevation post-PCI correlates with procedural complications, diffuse atherosclerosis, and adverse long-term prognosis. Troponin elevation has an earlier pattern of rise than CK-MB and can be used as a surrogate. High sensitivity troponin can enable ruling out enzymatic elevation very early after PCI and facilitate discharge timing.

The Nonvitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulants and Atrial Fibrillation: Challenges and Considerations.

Unlabelled: The nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban are used for the reduction of the risk of stroke or systemic embolism (SEE) in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). The purpose of this review is to highlight the safety and efficacy results of the pivotal NOAC clinical trials for use in NVAF, discuss some of the unique management challenges in the use of NOACs in special populations, summarize data on emerging and novel indications, and address potential future directions.

Methods: A literature search was conducted and to identify relevant clinical trials and studies regarding the use of NOACs for the prevention of stroke or SEE in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Atrial Fibrillation, Type 2 Diabetes, and Non-Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulants: A Review.

Importance: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and is associated with a 5-fold increase in the risk for stroke. Type 2 diabetes is an independent risk factor for both stroke and atrial fibrillation, and in the setting of AF, type 2 diabetes is independently associated with a 2% to 3.5% increase in absolute stroke rate per year.

Non-Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulants in Atrial Fibrillation.

For more than 50 years, vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) have been the standard of care for treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the numerous limitations of VKAs have led to the development of non-VKA oral anticoagulants (NOACs). There are 4 NOACs currently approved for prevention of thromboembolism in patients with nonvalvular AF.

Target-specific oral anticoagulants: practice issues for the clinician.

Venous thromboembolism and atrial fibrillation are among the most common cardiovascular disorders in the United States. For over 50 years, the standard of care has been anticoagulation with vitamin K antagonists. However, the numerous limitations of vitamin K antagonists led to the development of target-specific oral anticoagulants.

Cardiac sarcoidosis: case report, workup, and review of the literature.

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, with coronary heart disease being the most common manifestation disease. While deaths attributed to coronary heart disease are falling in the developed world, the number of patients with cardiomyopathy continues to increase. In this paper, the current literature on imaging modalities for infiltrative and inflammatory cardiomyopathies is reviewed, focusing on the three most common diagnoses, namely sarcoidosis, amyloidosis, and myocarditis.

Edoxaban: Review of pharmacology and key phase I to III clinical trials.

Vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) remain the standard therapy for anticoagulation in prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and for the prevention of stroke in atrial fibrillation (AF). Due to numerous limitations of VKAs, target-specific oral anticoagulants have been developed. Edoxaban is a direct activated factor X inhibitor with attractive features among which are once daily dosing, no need for routine monitoring, and minimal drug-drug interactions.

Surface acoustic waves enhance neutrophil killing of bacteria.

Biofilms are structured communities of bacteria that play a major role in the pathogenicity of bacteria and are the leading cause of antibiotic resistant bacterial infections on indwelling catheters and medical prosthetic devices. Failure to resolve these biofilm infections may necessitate the surgical removal of the prosthetic device which can be debilitating and costly. Recent studies have shown that application of surface acoustic waves to catheter surfaces can reduce the incidence of infections by a mechanism that has not yet been clarified.