Sudden power loss in a HeartMate II left ventricular assist device due to intermittent pin contact with the battery: case report.

Left ventricular assist device technology has improved such that mechanical malfunction, particularly with newer generation continuous flow devices, is a relatively rare event. We present a case of sudden power loss in a HeartMate II caused by intermittent contact of the battery terminals after a clip was dropped with the battery inserted in it. The clip was replaced and the patient made a complete recovery.

Giant cell myocarditis in a patient with a spondyloarthropathy after a drug hypersensitivity reaction.

A young woman thought to have seronegative rheumatoid arthritis developed Stevens-Johnson syndrome after treatment with sulfasalazine; this resolved with prednisone. Later she was found to be HLA-B27-positive in keeping with a spondyloarthropathy. Soon afterward, she developed clinical myopericarditis and cardiogenic shock that responded initially to methylprednisolone and intravenous immunoglobulin, but recurred.

Prolonged basiliximab use as an alternative to calcineurin inhibition to allow renal recovery late after heart transplantation.

Solid-organ transplant patients can have a number of complications, some of which are particularly severe with regard to morbidity and mortality. These complications may be due to operative and post-operative complications or to the immunosuppressive therapy regimen. Renal impairment is a frequent post-transplant complication that may occur for any number of reasons, including peri-operative ischemic events and nephrotoxicity secondary to anti-rejection medications.