Hospitalization Following Outpatient Diagnosis of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Adults.

Importance: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of acute respiratory tract infections among adults and is estimated to cause approximately 159 000 hospitalizations among adults aged 65 years and older in the US each year. Estimates of hospitalization among adults with outpatient medically attended RSV (MA-RSV) infections are required to design interventional studies that aim to prevent hospitalization.

Objective: To assess absolute risk of 28-day, all-cause hospitalization following outpatient MA-RSV infections in adults.

Radiation-Induced Macrovessel/Microvessel Disease.

Radiation therapy (RT) is a cornerstone in cancer treatment (used in 50% of cases), yet challenges persist because damage to normal tissue through direct impact of radiation or bystander effects is inevitable. Injury of macrovessels by RT manifests as obstructive disease, which is akin to atherosclerotic disease. Historically observed in coronary arteries of patients treated for breast cancer and lymphoma, it also affects patients receiving contemporary therapy for lung and chest cancers.

Subvalvular Thrombosis of the Mitral Valve-A Rare Cause of Cardioembolic Stroke.

• MAC-associated subvalvular thrombosis is a rare cause of cardioembolic stroke. • Thorough evaluation of the MV is important when cardioembolic phenomena are suspected. • Surgical resection is an option in patients with high-risk thrombi.

Degenerative Mitral Stenosis: A Case-Based Review.

• DMS has a high morbidity and a 5-year mortality rate of >50%. • DMS frequently occurs as mixed mitral disease as well as multivalvular disease. • Assessment of severity requires use of TTE, TEE, and stress echocardiography.

Relation of Left Ventricular Diastolic Function to Global Fibrosis Burden: Implications for Heart Failure Risk Stratification.

Background: Left ventricular (LV) diastolic function is primarily assessed by means of echocardiography, which has limited utility in detecting fibrosis. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) readily detects and quantifies fibrosis.

Objectives: In this study, the authors sought to determine the association of LV diastolic function by echocardiography with CMR-determined global fibrosis burden and the incremental value of fibrosis with diastolic function grade in prediction of total mortality and heart failure hospitalizations.

Tricuspid Valve Prolapse: An Uncommon Pathology Revealed by TEE.

A 73-year-old male with a history of dilated cardiomyopathy and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation underwent transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) to evaluate for endocarditis due to fever and gram-positive cocci in chains on blood cultures. TTE revealed a 3 × 8 mm mass on the ventricular aspect of the tricuspid valve ( ). Subsequent transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) showed that the mass in question was actually myxomatous degeneration of the tricuspid valve (TV) and redundant chordae with significant valve prolapse.

Long-Term Follow up of Renal and Other Acute Organ Failure in Survivors of Critical Illness Due to Covid-19.

Background: Little is known about the long-term health sequelae and outcomes of various organ failures in ICU survivors of Covid-19. The aim of our research was to study the characteristics of 120-day ICU survivors of the initial pandemic surge and report their long term (>6 months) outcomes.

Methods: We conducted a telephone questionnaire-based follow up study of 120- day survivors of Covid-19 admitted to ICUs at Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY from 3/10/2020 to 4/11/2020.

Role of Physical Activity and Cardiac Rehabilitation in Patients Undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a standard treatment for several malignancies, and >50,000 HSCT are performed annually worldwide. As survival after HSCT improves, cardiovascular disease and associated risk factors have gained importance as a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in this cohort. In this article, we detail the risk factors for cardiovascular disease and their impact in patients undergoing HSCT.

A Study of Policies and Guidelines for Collecting, Processing, and Storing Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patient Biospecimens for Biobanking and Research.

Biobanking has been playing a crucial role in the development of new vaccines, drugs, biotechnology, and therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of a wide range of human diseases. This puts biobanks at the forefront of responding to the ongoing worldwide outbreak of the severe pandemic, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The leading public health institutions around the world have developed and established interim policies and guidelines for researchers and biobank staff to handle the infectious biospecimens safely and adequately from COVID-19 patients.

Thromboembolic Events and Role of Point of Care Ultrasound in Hospitalized Covid-19 Patients Needing Intensive Care Unit Admission.

Background: Covid-19 associated coagulopathy (CAC) is associated with prothrombotic state and thromboembolism. However, true incidence of thromboembolic events is difficult to determine in the ICU setting. The aim of our study was to investigate the cumulative incidence of thromboembolic events in Covid-19 patients needing intensive care unit (ICU) admission and assessing the utility of point of care ultrasound (POCUS) to screen for and diagnose lower extremity deep venous thrombosis (DVT).

Revascularization Strategies in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease and Acute Coronary Syndromes.

Purpose Of Review: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a highly prevalent condition that increases the incidence and complexity of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The purpose of this review is to summarize current evidence, uncertainties, and opportunities in the management of patients with CKD and ACS, with a focus on revascularization.

Recent Findings: Patients with CKD have been systematically under-represented or excluded from clinical trials in ACS.

Impact of antibiotic prophylaxis on catheter-associated urinary tract infections during atrial fibrillation ablation.

Purpose: Urinary catheter placement is common during atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation when performed under general anesthesia. Whether patients undergoing AF ablation would benefit from prophylactic antibiotics is unknown.

Methods: Patients undergoing AF ablation in a single center from December 2011 until June 2016 were included.

Role of NADPH oxidase versus neutrophil proteases in antimicrobial host defense.

NADPH oxidase is a crucial enzyme in mediating antimicrobial host defense and in regulating inflammation. Patients with chronic granulomatous disease, an inherited disorder of NADPH oxidase in which phagocytes are defective in generation of reactive oxidant intermediates (ROIs), suffer from life-threatening bacterial and fungal infections. The mechanisms by which NADPH oxidase mediate host defense are unclear.

Role of NADPH oxidase in host defense against aspergillosis.

NADPH oxidase plays a critical role in antimicrobial host defense, as evident in chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), an inherited disorder of the NADPH oxidase characterized by severe bacterial and fungal diseases. Invasive aspergillosis and other moulds are the major cause of mortality in CGD. We also learn from CGD patients that NADPH oxidase plays an important role in regulating inflammation; CGD patients are prone to developing inflammatory diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, obstructive granulomata of the genitourinary tract, and hypersensitivity pneumonitis.