An Unusual Presentation of Native Valve Endocarditis Caused by .

is a coagulase-negative staphylococcal (CoNS) bacterium. It is a common saprophyte on human skin, present in approximately 50% of the healthy adult population; it has emerged as a cause of serious infection in the past two decades. In most cases, there is a predisposing condition, such as a new implant or surgical procedure, before the identification of as the pathogen.

Nutritional and vitamin supplements: do they prevent coronary artery disease?

This article will review background information and data supporting the use of fish oil, folic acid, coenzyme Q, and vitamins C, D, and E in the prevention and/or treatment of coronary artery disease.

Importance of measuring glycosylated hemoglobin in patients with myocardial infarction and known diabetes mellitus.

Although medical co-morbidities commonly affect clinical outcomes after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), current performance measures of AMI quality focus exclusively on the management of the AMI itself. However, patients with AMIs frequently present with other co-morbidities, such as diabetes mellitus (DM), that also warrant assessment and management. To date, the quality of DM evaluation in patients presenting with AMIs has not been described.

Frequency of undiagnosed diabetes mellitus in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

In a prospective cohort of patients who had acute coronary syndrome, we used a simple fasting plasma glucose to identify previously unrecognized diabetes mellitus. A total of 57% of patients who had acute coronary syndrome had abnormal glucose metabolism; approximately 66% of those who met criteria for new diabetes were not diagnosed or treated as such by the physicians who managed them.

Predictors of quality-of-life benefit after percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: Improving patients' quality of life is a primary indication for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), yet little is known about patient characteristics associated with greater quality-of-life improvement from the procedure. This study was conducted to identify patient characteristics associated with quality-of-life benefit after PCI.

Methods And Results: A consecutive series of 1518 patients undergoing PCI in nonacute myocardial infarction settings were prospectively enrolled into an observational study documenting their postprocedural health status.

Improved symptoms, physical limitation, and self-efficacy after resynchronization in a patient with heart failure and a prolonged QRS duration.

This report examines the impact of resynchronization therapy in a patient with class IV heart failure and a prolonged QRS duration on electrocardiogram. The Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) was used to assess the patient's health status prior to, immediately after, and 2 months after placement of a biventricular pacemaker. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) values and electrocardiogram QRS duration were recorded to further document clinical status.

The elderly: health status benefits and recovery of function one year after coronary artery bypass surgery.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe the health status (symptoms, function, and quality of life) changes of elderly patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and compare these to younger patients.

Background: Despite increasing use of CABG in the elderly, few data exist about elderly patients' health status benefits from CABG.

Methods: A total of 690 consecutive patients (n = 156, >75 years of age; n = 534, View Article and Find Full Text PDF