New Insights into Mortality-Related Risk Factors in Infective Endocarditis: Results from the Brandenburg State Endocarditis Register.

Objective:  Endocarditis as a potentially life-threatening disease with high complication and mortality rates. In recent years, an increase in the incident of endocarditis has been reported throughout Europe. In the aging society, successful treatment is complex and challenging owing to the high rate of multimorbidity.

Everyday Cardiac Surgery in Jehovah's Witnesses of Typically Advanced Age: Clinical Outcome and Matched Comparison.

Background And Objectives: Jehovah's Witnesses (JW) reject the transfusion of blood components based on their religious beliefs, even if they are in danger of harm or death. In cardiac surgery, this significantly reduces the margin of safety and leads to ethical conflicts. Informed consent should be carefully documented and the patient's family should be involved.

[Facial palsy: diagnostic traps].

Peripheral facial palsy is a common, often idiopathic and self-limiting mononeuropathy. However, secondary facial palsies require specific management: they are most often of infectious, vascular or dysimmune causes. The presence of red flags in the history, clinical examination or medical follow-up should alert clinicians.

The Impact of Gender and Age in Obese Patients on Sternal Instability and Deep-Sternal-Wound-Healing Disorders after Median Sternotomy.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between age and sex in regard to the development of deep sternal wound infections and sternal instability following median sternotomy.

Methods: A propensity-score-matching analysis was conducted on 4505 patients who underwent cardiac surgery between 2009 and 2021, all of whom had a BMI of ≥30 kg/m. A total of 1297 matched pairs were determined in the sex group, and 1449 matched pairs we determined in the age group.

Do Not Withhold Mitral Surgery from Patients with Poor Left Ventricular Function.

Background and Objectives: Increasing reluctance to perform surgical mitral valve repair or replacement particularly in high-risk patients with poor left-ventricular function is trending. These patients are increasingly treated interventionally, e.g.