A STRONG call for intensive oral heart failure therapy in acute heart failure patients.

Heart failure (HF), a chronic and progressive disease, is increasing in prevalence worldwide and is associated with increased hospitalizations and death. Despite notable improvements in medical therapy for HF, patients are still at risk of future negative outcomes. Current guidelines recommend four classes of medication for treating patients with HF, deemed guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT).

Improving Blood Pressure Control and Tobacco Use Cessation Intervention In Primary Care: Protocol for the Alabama Cardiovascular Cooperative Heart Health Improvement Project.

Background: Alabama has the second highest rate of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality of any US state and a high prevalence of CVD risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and smoking. Within the state, there are disparities in CVD outcomes and risk factors by race or ethnicity and geography. Many primary care practices do not have the capacity for full-scale quality improvement (QI) initiatives.

Cardiac Tumor Within the Left Ventricle: Thrombus or Something Else?

Papillary fibroelastoma is a benign cardiac tumor that most commonly arises from the valvular endocardium and is typically resected because of its predisposition to cause embolic complications. In this clinical vignette, we describe the case of a patient who presented with a round, mobile 1.3 × 1.

Food Insecurity's Association with Depression and Anxiety in an Underserved Heart Failure Population: Addressing Access to Food.

Heart failure (HF) is a complex and chronic condition that requires ongoing management, and in patients with adverse social determinants of health (SDOH) disease management can become challenging. Food insecurity (FI), a common adverse SDOH, can have negative consequences for those living with HF. Heart failure and SDOH also have significant impacts on mental health and well-being.

Anemia in patients ten years after bariatric surgery.

Background: More than 10% of the global population has a BMI above 35. Bariatric surgery is an efficient way to treat this condition. Unfortunately, there is a risk of nutritional deficiencies.

Decreasing incidence of celiac disease in Southern Sweden.

Background: The incidence of celiac disease (CD) has increased rapidly in the late 20 and early 21 centuries, but there are recent reports of rates levelling off in countries with a high prevalence. The aim of this study was to investigate current trends in CD in southern Sweden.

Patients And Methods: Children and adults diagnosed with CD by biopsy or serology in the region of Skåne, southern Sweden, from 2010-2022 were included.

Iron Deficiency Among Hospitalized Patients With Congestive Heart Failure.

Introduction: Studies have demonstrated the efficacy of intravenous (IV) iron when administered to patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) and iron deficiency (ID). We aimed to better understand the adherence of treatment for ID among a population with CHF, with particular interest in high-risk groups not often studied due to inadequate recruitment.

Methods: A retrospective chart review at our institution was conducted from January 1, 2012, to July 7, 2021.

Atrial arrhythmias and acute pericarditis triggered by bleach ingestion-associated oesophageal perforation: a case report.

Background: Acute pericarditis due to oesophageal perforation and caustic injury is a rare presentation of bleach ingestion. Cardiac arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter have been associated with certain aetiologies of acute pericarditis. This case report presents a unique occurrence of acute pericarditis following bleach ingestion and intermittent atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter triggered by liquid intake.

Associations between School-Level Disadvantage, Bullying Involvement and Children's Mental Health.

Bullying is a modifiable risk factor for poor mental health across childhood and adolescence. It is also socially patterned, with increased prevalence rates in more disadvantaged settings. The current study aimed to better understand whether school-level disadvantage is associated with different types of bullying roles, and whether it is a moderator in the association between bullying and children's mental health.

Urban-rural differences in hypertension prevalence, blood pressure control, and systolic blood pressure levels.

Higher rates of cardiovascular events have been observed among rural residents compared with urban. Hypertension and lack of blood pressure (BP) control are risk factors for cardiovascular events. We compared the prevalence of hypertension and controlled BP, and the distribution of systolic blood pressure (SBP), by urban-rural residence.

The Microbiome of Osteoarthritic Hip and Knee Joints: A Prospective Multicenter Investigation.

Background: Recent advances in high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies have made it possible to characterize the microbial profile in anatomical sites previously assumed to be sterile. We used this approach to explore the microbial composition within joints of osteoarthritic patients.

Methods: This prospective multicenter study recruited 113 patients undergoing hip or knee arthroplasty between 2017 and 2019.

Cardiogenic shock in a woman with a mitochondrial cardiomyopathy: a case report.

Background: Mitochondrial cardiomyopathy (MCM) is an alteration in cardiac structure and function caused by gene mutations or deletions affecting components of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. We report a case of MCM presenting as cardiogenic shock, ultimately requiring left ventricular assist device (LVAD) placement.

Case Summary: A 35-year-old woman with chronic weakness and non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy, on home dobutamine, was referred to our institution for heart transplantation evaluation.

Percutaneous debulking of tricuspid valve endocarditis in severe COVID-19 pneumonia after prolonged venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation with right-ventricular support: a case series.

Background: Over the past 2 years, the utilization of venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has increased. While supporting respiratory function, VV-ECMO requires large-bore indwelling venous cannulas, which risk bleeding and infections, including endocarditis.

Case Summary: We describe two adults hospitalized for COVID-19 pneumonia who developed ARDS and right-ventricular failure, requiring VV-ECMO and ProtekDuo cannulation.

Primordial Prevention of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE.

Purpose: The primordial prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) involves the prevention of the onset of its risk factors. This review explores the associations between early modifiable risk factors and the development of ASCVD in adulthood, as well as evidence-based interventions to prevent them.

Review Methods: A review was conducted on the basis of an in-depth literature search including longitudinal observational data, systematic reviews and meta-analyses published in 2012 or later, clinical trials, and additional manual searches of recent literature based on reference lists of other reviews and relevant guidelines.

Risk of Postdischarge Bleeding From Dual Antiplatelet Therapy After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Among US Black and White Adults.

Background Dual antiplatelet therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention reduces myocardial infarctions but increases bleeding. The risk of bleeding may be higher among Black patients for unknown reasons. Bleeding risk scores have not been validated among Black patients.

Establishing Care Post Discharge Following a Heart Failure Hospitalization in an Uninsured Heart Failure Population.

Multidisciplinary interprofessional outpatient care improves mortality for patients with heart failure (HF) but is underutilized. We sought to identify factors associated with not establishing outpatient care among uninsured individuals with HF. We included uninsured individuals referred to an interprofessional clinic after a hospitalization with HF from 2016 to 2019.

Many Common Pathogens are Present in the Operative Room Air During Surgery.

Background: The main objective of this study was to assess the sanitary measures of operating theaters using next-generation sequencing.

Methods: Air was sampled from the operating room for the whole duration of 10 surgical days of "clean" (no infection cases) procedures (6 hip/knee arthroplasty and 4 spine cases). Controls consisted of samples at the beginning of the day (1 hour before the surgery started) and at the end of the day after terminal cleaning.