Acute Rheumatic Fever in a Low Prevalence Setting.

Background: Acute rheumatic fever is a systemic inflammatory condition caused by beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection. Its prevalence in high-income countries has fallen significantly as a result of widespread antibiotic use and improved living conditions.

Case Summary: We report the case of an 18-year-old, otherwise healthy, Irish woman who presented to an Irish hospital with fever and general malaise on a background of recurrent pharyngitis.

Improvements of right ventricular function after intervention with CPAP in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is present in 40-80% of patients with cardiovascular morbidity and is associated with adverse effects on cardiovascular health. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) maintains airway patency during sleep and is hypothesised to improve cardiac function. In the present study, we report on the impact of 12 weeks of CPAP and improvements in echocardiographic parameters of the right ventricle (RV).

The use of deformation imaging in the assessment of patients pre and post transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Background: Deformation imaging represents a method of measuring myocardial function, including global longitudinal strain (GLS), peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS) and radial strain. This study aimed to assess subclinical improvements in left ventricular function in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) by comparing GLS, PALS and radial strain pre and post procedure.

Methods: We conducted a single site prospective observational study of 25 patients undergoing TAVI, comparing baseline and post-TAVI echocardiograms.

A critical review of chronic kidney disease as a risk factor for coronary artery disease.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). In addition to common CVD risk factors, the presence of CKD is independently associated with an elevated cardiovascular (CV) risk. We examined the association between CKD and CVD, focusing on coronary artery disease (CAD) in both primary and secondary CVD.

Otherwise Unexplained Transient QTc Prolongation in a Patient Admitted with COVID Disease.

. Several cardiovascular manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been previously described. QT prolongation has been reported in COVID-19 infection in association with medications such as azithromycin, hydroxychloroquine, and chloroquine but has not previously been reported as a direct result of COVID-19 infection.