Publications by authors named "Mahmood Abu-Akel"

Aims: Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are used increasingly for patients with heart failure or chronic kidney disease to improve cardiac and renal outcomes. The use of these medications in patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) is still limited and lacks evidence regarding the safety profile. In this study, we aimed to report our experience in treating 20 patients, supported by LVAD, with SGLT2 inhibitors.

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Article Synopsis
  • A study analyzed the use of heart failure (HF) therapies in patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) after acute coronary syndromes (ACS), using data from the 2021 ACS Israeli Survey (ACSIS).
  • The majority of patients received angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB), and beta-blockers, but there was low utilization of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA) and angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors (ARNI).
  • Patients with reduced LVEF showed a trend towards worse short-term outcomes compared to those with mildly-reduced LVEF, but no significant correlation was found between the number of
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Ventricular fibrillation, a life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia, may result in pulselessness, loss of consciousness and sudden cardiac death. In this case report, we describe our experience in managing a 54-year-old man with HeartMate3 left ventricular assist device (LVAD) as a bridge to transplantation due to dilated non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, presenting with incessant ventricular arrhythmia for 35 days despite multiple attempts to restore normal rhythm with external direct current cardioversion and anti-arrhythmic medications. The patient remained stable in ventricular arrhythmia with no progression to asystole, but hemodynamic collapse due to right heart failure occurred in the third week.

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Objectives: The immunogenicity of two-dose severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccine is lower among heart transplant (HTx) recipients, compared with the general population. Our aim was to assess the immunogenicity of a third-dose vaccine in HTx recipients.

Methods: This is a prospective cohort study of HTx recipients who received a third dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine.

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Giant coronary aneurysms are late sequelae of Kawasaki disease (KD). We describe a 53-year-old patient who presented with acute myocardial infarction and proximal aneurysms of all three coronary arteries. Coronary angiography demonstrated the aneurysms, but CT angiography allowed accurate assessment of the real dimensions of the aneurysms and making the decision on the preferred method of revascularization.

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Background: Primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) tends to occur in young adults without underlying lung diseases and is usually followed by limited symptoms, while secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (SSP) is a complication of a pre-existing lung disease. Surprisingly, for such common conditions, there is a considerable inconsistency regarding management guidelines.

Objectives: To evaluate the risk factors for spontaneous pneumothoraxes and to summarize outcomes and complications based on our clinical experience.

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Lupus myocarditis is a relatively rare manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus. The majority of patients who experience myocardial involvement are females of young age. Here, we report a case of an 87-year-old male who was hospitalized because of perimyocarditis 2 weeks after undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

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