Association Between Vegetation Size and Outcome in the Partial Oral Antibiotic Endocarditis Treatment Trial.

Step-down oral antibiotic therapy is associated with a non-inferior long-term outcome compared with continued intravenous antibiotic therapy in the treatment of left-sided infective endocarditis. We aimed to analyze whether step-down oral therapy compared with continued intravenous antibiotic therapy is also associated with a non-inferior outcome in patients with large vegetations (vegetation length ≥ 10 mm) or among patients who underwent surgery before step-down oral therapy. We included patients without presence of aortic root abscess at diagnosis from the POET (Partial Oral Antibiotic Endocarditis Treatment) study.

The importance of nonobstructive plaque characteristics in symptomatic and asymptomatic coronary artery disease.

Background: We examined obstructive and nonobstructive plaque volumes in populations with subclinical and clinically manifested coronary artery disease (CAD) using quantitative computed tomography (QCT).

Methods: 855 participants with CAD (274 asymptomatic individuals, 254 acute chest pain patients without acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and 327 patients with ACS) underwent QCT of proximal coronary segments to assess participant-level plaque volumes of dense calcium, fibrous, fibrofatty, and necrotic core tissue.

Results: Nonobstructive (<50% stenosis) plaque volumes were greater than obstructive plaque volumes, irrespective of population (all p<0.

Rifampicin reduces plasma concentration of linezolid in patients with infective endocarditis.

Background: Linezolid in combination with rifampicin has been used in treatment of infective endocarditis especially for patients infected with staphylococci.

Objectives: Because rifampicin has been reported to reduce the plasma concentration of linezolid, the present study aimed to characterize the population pharmacokinetics of linezolid for the purpose of quantifying an effect of rifampicin cotreatment. In addition, the possibility of compensation by dosage adjustments was evaluated.

[Not Available].

Congenital coronary anomalies present with a frequency of 0.7% in the general population. Most coronary anomalies are benign, but some may be linked to ischaemia and sudden cardiac death.

High JAK2V617F variant allele frequency is associated with coronary artery but not aortic valve calcifications in patients with Philadelphia-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms.

Background: Patients with Philadelphia-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) have a higher burden of cardiac calcifications compared to the general population. It is not known whether the JAK2V617F mutation is associated with increased cardiac calcification.

Aim: To investigate if a higher JAK2V617F variant allele frequency (VAF) is associated with severe coronary atherosclerosis and the presence of aortic valve calcification (AVC).