Prognostic Significance of Creatinine Increases During an Acute Heart Failure Admission in Patients With and Without Residual Congestion: A Post Hoc Analysis of the PROTECT Data.

Background: The importance of a serum creatinine increase, traditionally considered worsening renal function (WRF), during admission for acute heart failure has been recently debated, with data suggesting an interaction between congestion and creatinine changes.

Methods And Results: In post hoc analyses, we analyzed the association of WRF with length of hospital stay, 30-day death or cardiovascular/renal readmission and 90-day mortality in the PROTECT study (Placebo-Controlled Randomized Study of the Selective A1 Adenosine Receptor Antagonist Rolofylline for Patients Hospitalized With Acute Decompensated Heart Failure and Volume Overload to Assess Treatment Effect on Congestion and Renal Function). Daily creatinine changes from baseline were categorized as WRF (an increase of 0.

[Postpartum pulmonary hypertension].

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) in pregnancy is a rare disorder that carries a high risk to mother and child, and as such, it is considered a contraindication to becoming pregnant. However, there are few published reports related to the diagnosis of this condition after delivery. We describe three PH cases diagnosed after their normal pregnancies and deliveries.

Quinolone-related Achilles tendinopathy in heart transplant patients: incidence and risk factors.

Background: A high incidence of Achilles tendinopathy--tendinitis or rupture--has been observed after quinolone treatment in lung and kidney transplant patients. In the absence of relevant published data, we aimed to determine its incidence, clinical features, risk factors and outcome among heart graft recipients.

Methods: We studied the clinical records of all adult heart transplant patients who were prescribed quinolones at our center between August 1995 and September 2006.

[Chronic anemia in heart transplant patients: prevalence, predisposing factors and prognostic significance].

Introduction And Objectives: Data on chronic anemia following heart transplantation (HT) are scarce and contradictory. Our aims were to determine the prevalence of chronic anemia after HT, to identify predisposing factors for the condition at 12 months, and to evaluate its influence on medium-term and long-term survival.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients who underwent HT between 1991 and 2005 (n=457).