Relation of Vasoplegia in the Absence of Primary Graft Dysfunction to Mortality Following Cardiac Transplantation.

Vasoplegia following cardiac transplantation is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Previous studies have not accounted for primary graft dysfunction (PGD). The definition of vasoplegia is based on pressor requirement at 48 hours, many PGD parameters may have normalized after the initial 24 hours on inotropes.

Determinants and Outcomes of Vasoplegia Following Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation.

Background: Vasoplegia is associated with adverse outcomes following cardiac surgery; however, its impact following left ventricular assist device implantation is largely unexplored.

Methods And Results: In 252 consecutive patients receiving a left ventricular assist device, vasoplegia was defined as the occurrence of normal cardiac function and index but with the need for intravenous vasopressors within 48 hours following surgery for >24 hours to maintain a mean arterial pressure >70 mm Hg. We further categorized vasoplegia as ; , requiring 1 vasopressor (vasopressin, norepinephrine, or high-dose epinephrine [>5 μg/min]); or , requiring ≥2 vasopressors.

Usefulness of a left ventricular assist device in patients with left ventricular noncompaction.

Left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) is a multifactorial structural abnormality of the myocardial wall characterized by prominent trabeculae and deep trabecular recesses. LVNC may present as a congenital or acquired defect characterized by 2 distinct tissue layers: a spongy, noncompacted inner myocardium and a thin, compacted outer myocardium. Patients with LVNC are prone to thromboembolic events, either due to deep trabeculations in the noncompacted myocardium or due to arrhythmias accompanying the defect.

Use of a MitraClip for severe mitral regurgitation in a cardiac transplant patient.

Severe mitral regurgitation (MR) in patients after cardiac transplant has not been well studied. Traditionally, patients have undergone corrective surgery. We report a 64-year-old man who presented with new heart failure symptoms 6 months after cardiac transplantation.

Klebsiella pneumoniae Renal Abscess Syndrome: A Rare Case with Metastatic Involvement of Lungs, Eye, and Brain.

We describe a rare case of Klebsiella pneumoniae renal abscess with metastatic spread leading to endopthalmitis, pulmonary cavitary lesions, and cerebral emboli in a 41-year-old Hispanic female with diabetes mellitus who presented with a four-to-five-day history of fevers, headache, eye pain, and vomiting. She was treated with IV antibiotics and made a gradual but full recovery.