Coxiella burnetii is a gram-negative bacterium associated with serious complications such as infective endocarditis. Early diagnosis and treatment can be difficult due to its nonspecific presentation and risk factors that include contact with farm animals or their byproducts. Here, we present an atypical presentation of infective endocarditis caused by Coxiella burnetii, where the patient had no risk factors, negative Duke criteria, and negative preliminary workup.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSubacute bacterial endocarditis (SBE) evolves over weeks to months, often without typical features of acute endocarditis. Its presentation progresses gradually until possibly complicated by sentinel events, such as a cerebrovascular accident from embolization or a ruptured vessel. This is a case of SBE presenting as symptomatic anemia in a female patient with severe aortic regurgitation (AR) and mitral regurgitation (MR) due to bi-valvular vegetations in the absence of typical acute endocarditis and congestive heart failure (CHF) features.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCardiac amyloidosis can be grouped into two main categories: immunoglobulin light chain (AL) and transthyretin (hATTR or hereditary and ATTRwt or wild type). Cardiac infiltration of misfolded proteins can lead to significant infiltrative processes and subsequent heart failure. Diagnosis of ATTRwt heavily relies on clinical suspicion, as it typically appears later in life and is limited to the heart.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThyroid storm (TS) occurs in 10% of thyrotoxicosis patients and 1% of TS patients experience cardiogenic shock (CS), which is associated with poor prognosis. This is a single institution, retrospective study in which 56 patients with TS were evaluated. BMI (p = 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInfective endocarditis (IE) is relatively uncommon; however, when it is diagnosed, it is usually among those with known cardiac valvular abnormalities. The most common pathogens that cause endocarditis are streptococci (mainly viridans), enterococci, and other streptococci species. An extremely rare pathogen that could cause IE is .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTricuspid valve regurgitation (TR) is common in the adult population. A small part of this population is devoted to those who have a flail tricuspid leaflet. Flail TR can be caused by blunt chest trauma.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEsophageal foreign body ingestion is a cause of non-cardiac chest pain and can be associated with significant mortality. Typically, esophageal foreign body ingestion is managed with endoscopic retrieval to prevent complications. The most commonly ingested foreign bodies in adults are food boluses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction Heart failure accounts for 1-2% of overall healthcare costs. While the link between re-hospitalization and mortality is unclear, care pathways that standardize inpatient management and establish outpatient follow-up improve patient outcomes and reduce morbidity. Aim To implement a comprehensive interdisciplinary care pathway for heart failure patients with the goal of optimizing inpatient management and improving transitions of care.
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