Hypokalemia during antibiotic treatment for bone and joint infections.

Purpose: During treatment of bone and joint infections (BJIs) with multiple antibiotic therapy, hypokalemia has been reported as a rare side effect. The aim of this study was to evaluate incidence and risk factors for hypokalemia in a cohort of patients treated with multidrug therapy for BJIs, in a single center.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 331 clinical files of 150 consecutive patients (65% males; median age 59 years, 95% CI 55-62) admitted repeatedly to our Osteomyelitis Department for treatment of chronic BJIs.

Cardiac Auscultation for Noncardiologists: Application in Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs: PART I: PATIENTS AFTER ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROMES AND HEART FAILURE.

During outpatient cardiac rehabilitation after an acute coronary syndrome or after an episode of congestive heart failure, a careful, periodic evaluation of patients' clinical and hemodynamic status is essential. Simple and traditional cardiac auscultation could play a role in providing useful prognostic information.Reduced intensity of the first heart sound (S1), especially when associated with prolonged apical impulse and the appearance of added sounds, may help identify left ventricular (LV) dysfunction or conduction disturbances, sometimes associated with transient myocardial ischemia.

Cardiac Auscultation for Noncardiologists: Application in Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs: PART II: ADULT PATIENTS AFTER HEART SURGERY.

This clinical skills review describes the most common cardiac auscultatory findings in adults after heart surgery and correlates them with prognostic indicators. It was written for noncardiologist health care providers who work in outpatient cardiac rehabilitation programs.Mechanical prosthetic valves produce typical closing and opening clicks.

Does heart rate variability correlate with long-term prognosis in myocardial infarction patients treated by early revascularization?

Aim: To assess the prevalence of depressed heart rate variability (HRV) after an acute myocardial infarction (MI), and to evaluate its prognostic significance in the present era of immediate reperfusion.

Methods: Time-domain HRV (obtained from 24-h Holter recordings) was assessed in 326 patients (63.5 ± 12.