Risk of infective endocarditis after surgical and transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Objective: To define the incidence and risk factors for infective endocarditis (IE) following surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) and transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

Methods: All patients who underwent first SAVR or TAVI in England between 2007 and 2016 were identified from the NICOR databases. Hospital admissions with a primary diagnosis of IE were identified by linkage with the NHS Hospital Episode Statistics database.

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance facilitates entirely contrast-free transcatheter aortic valve implantation: case report.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is usually planned using contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) to determine the suitability of cardiovascular anatomy. Computed tomography for TAVI planning requires the administration of intravenous contrast, which may not be desirable in patients with severely reduced renal function.

Case Summary: We present an unusual case of an 89-year-old patient with an urgent need for treatment of critical, symptomatic aortic stenosis who also had severe chronic kidney disease.

Anticoagulation for patients with mechanical heart valves at the end of life: understanding clinician attitudes and improving decision making.

Background: Decisions regarding continuation or cessation of anticoagulation for patients with mechanical heart valves nearing the end of life represent a difficult balance of risks. The risk of suffering and disability that may result from thromboembolism must be weighed against the burden of continued anticoagulation therapy and the excess bleeding risk this confers. Data allowing quantification of the relative risks are scarce, and this translates to a lack of published guidance on the topic.

A retrospective analysis of outcomes in low- and intermediate-high-risk pulmonary embolism patients managed on an ambulatory medical unit in the UK.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is common and guidelines recommend outpatient care only for PE patients with low predicted mortality. Outcomes for patients with intermediate-to-high predicted mortality managed as outpatients are unknown. Electronic records were analysed for adults with PE managed on our ambulatory care unit over 2 years.