Novel markers of COVID-19 mortality-A comparative study with patients of acute coronary syndrome.

Background: COVID-19 can cause severe pneumonia that can progress to multiple organ failure. It is believed that dysregulation of inflammation and cytokine storm, contributes to severe COVID-19. As inflammatory mediators play an important role in the pathogenesis of the severe disease, inflammatory markers like fever, leucocytosis, and C-reactive protein are known to predict severe disease.

One-year outcomes of novel BioMime Morph tapered stent in long and multiple coronary artery lesions.

Objective: Even with the immense progress achieved in the field of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs), treatment of diffuse long atherosclerotic coronary artery disease continues to remain a challenge for durable outcomes. The downstream reduction in diameter along the lesion length of a coronary artery may compel the cardiologist to use either 2 overlapping stents of different diameters or a single long stent leading to stent-vessel mismatch at the edges. Recently, Meril Life Sciences Pvt.

Spontaneous pulmonary artery thrombus in a neonate.

Background: Pulmonary artery thrombosis is rare in neonates and mimics as persistent pulmonary hypertension or congenital heart disease. Risk factors include septicemia, dehydration, polycythemia, maternal diabetes, asphyxia, and inherited thrombophilias. They present with cyanosis and respiratory distress.

Morphological features of focal choroidal excavation and its association with macular pathology in Asian Indian eyes.

Purpose: To study the characteristics of focal choroidal excavation (FCE) in Indian eyes based on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) findings and their association with macular pathologies.

Methods: Retrospective study of 26 patients diagnosed with FCE. All patients' clinical and imaging data were reviewed.

Prognostic role of procalcitonin in ST-elevation myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock.

Objective: Cardiogenic shock accounts for the majority of deaths amongst patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Procalcitonin is elevated in acute myocardial infarction, especially when complicated by left heart failure, cardiogenic shock, resuscitated cardiac arrest, and bacterial infections. However, the prognostic utility of procalcitonin in ST-elevation myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock has not been systematically evaluated.

Percutaneous closure of small subpulmonic ventricular septal defect with an ADO I PDA occluder in a child.

Ventricular septal defects (VSDs) comprise the most common congenital heart defect at birth. The chances of spontaneous closure of VSD depend on the size and location of the defect. Subpulmonic location is an unlikely site for the VSD to close spontaneously and known to have complications such as aortic valve prolapse and regurgitation.

Comparison of isolated venous approach with the standard approach in children undergoing patent ductus arteriosus device closure.

Background: Transcatheter device closure is a safe procedure recommended in children with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). While the standard procedure uses arterial and venous femoral access, it poses risk of vascular complications especially in young infants. Isolated venous approach has been tried in a few studies and was found to be non-inferior to the standard technique.

Role of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide in the prediction of outcomes in ST-elevation myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock.

Although measurements of natriuretic peptides have a role in chronic heart failure and acute coronary syndrome, their role has not been studied in ST-elevation myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock (CS-STEMI). Sixty-four patients with CS-STEMI were prospectively recruited to assess the prognostic value of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) measurement after 24 h of the onset of angina or anginal equivalent. Patients who died within 24 h were excluded.

Use of BioMime Morph stent in treating left main triple vessel disease: a case report.

Background: Diffuse long coronary lesions require long overlapping stents which produce less than optimal long-term results. Sizing of long stents becomes difficult owing to tapering of coronaries and overlapping with excessive metal which makes restenosis a nagging problem on long-term follow-up. The optimal stent sizing becomes even more important when left main (LM) needs to be treated along with left ascending artery (LAD) or left circumflex artery (Lcx).

Transcatheter closure of Patent ductus arteriosus in a child with IVC interruption through standard femoral access: a case report.

Background: Portsmann and co. performed the first PDA device closure in 1967. The technique and the devices used have evolved since then and are the first choice in managing anatomically feasible patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) for the last 20 years.

Outcomes of transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus with the off-label use of large occluders (≥16 mm).

Objective: Transcatheter closure is the first-choice strategy for the management of appropriate patients with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). The management of large PDAs is challenging due to the limited available sizes of approved devices and the inherent risks of surgical ligation, especially in adults with calcified PDAs. This study aimed to assess the outcomes of the off-label use of large occluders at a tertiary center.

Acute myocardial dysfunction in lupus: outcomes in Asian Indians.

Background: Acute myocardial dysfunction is an uncommon but potentially fatal complication in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We describe the outcome in a small series of Asian Indian patients and examine associated factors.

Methods: SLE patients who fulfilled the 2012 SLICC criteria and developed new-onset myocardial dysfunction were included in this retrospective case series.

Bailout subclavian artery stenting in a sick child with iatrogenic subclavian artery perforation: a case report.

Background: Subclavian artery injury during internal jugular vein catheterization is a rare yet potentially life-threatening complication leading to hemothorax and exsanguination. The percutaneous endovascular approach offers a less invasive and effective alternative to the high-risk surgical repair in emergent situations.

Case Presentation: We present a case of a 6-year-old child suffering from hemolytic uremic syndrome requiring urgent hemodialysis, for which IJV (internal jugular vein) cannulation was attempted.

Role of StentBoost in Successful Guidewire Recrossing.

In this difficult case, StentBoost (Philips Medical Systems) demonstrated abluminal passage of the guidewire through the proximal stent struts.

Clinical characteristics and outcome in patients with a delayed presentation after ST-elevation myocardial infarction and complicated by cardiogenic shock.

Objective: Delayed presentation after ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and complicated by cardiogenic shock (CS-STEMI) is commonly encountered in developing countries and is a challenging scenario because of a delay in revascularization resulting in infarction of a large amount of the myocardium. We aimed to assess the clinical characteristics, angiographic profile, and predictors of outcome in patients with a delayed presentation after CS-STEMI.

Methods: A total of 147 patients with CS-STEMI with time to appropriate medical care ≥12 h after symptom onset were prospectively recruited at a tertiary referral center.

Prevalence of secondary Sjögren's syndrome in Indian patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a single-center study.

Aim: To assess the prevalence of secondary Sjögren's syndrome (sSS) and its association with joint damage in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from northern India.

Methods: Patients included had RA, fulfilling the 1987 American College of Rheumatology criteria, with disease duration of more than 1 year. They were administered a sicca questionnaire that included six questions from subjective criteria of American European Consensus Group (AECG) criteria.

Diabetes burden and access to preventive care in the rural United States.

Context: National databases can be used to investigate diabetes prevalence and health care use. Guideline-based care can reduce diabetes complications and morbidity. Yet little is known about the prevalence of diabetes and compliance with diabetes care guidelines among rural residents and whether different national databases provide similar results.

Healthcare via cell phones: a systematic review.

Regular care and informational support are helpful in improving disease-related health outcomes. Communication technologies can help in providing such care and support. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the empirical evidence related to the role of cell phones and text messaging interventions in improving health outcomes and processes of care.

Diabetes self-management care via cell phone: a systematic review.

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the evidence on the impact of cell phone interventions for persons with diabetes and/or obesity in improving health outcomes and/or processes of care for persons with diabetes and/or obesity.

Methods: We searched Medline (1966-2007) and reviewed reference lists from included studies and relevant reviews to identify additional studies. We extracted descriptions of the study design, sample size, patient age, duration of study, technology, educational content and delivery environment, intervention and control groups, process and outcome measures, and statistical significance.

eHealth: Connecting Health Care and Public Health.

Reducing risks and improving benefits to the patients are requirements health professionals are faced with in their daily work. Furthermore, cuts in health funds and the competition for budgets require to enhancing efficacy and efficiency of health services. For meeting both challenges, adequate information and knowledge is needed, which can be gathered from documentation systems such as Electronic Health Records or Personal Health Records (PHRs), but also by performing dedicated clinical studies such as randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or cohort studies.