Scientific response to the 2021 eruption of Nyiragongo based on the implementation of a participatory monitoring system.

The development of a resilient society is a major challenge for growing human population faced with abundant natural hazards. During and after the May 22, 2021 eruption of Nyiragongo, the local population was surprised and scared by the subsequent seismicity and associated surface fracturing, coupled with the alert of a possible new eruptive vent opening in Goma (Democratic Republic of Congo) and/or Gisenyi (Rwanda). The creation of a toll-free phone number enabled the population to record fractures and gas/thermal anomalies affecting the area.

Tricuspid-valve repair for pacemaker leads endocarditis.

In non-addicted patients, several states, such as permanent pacemakers, can provide the predisposing factors for tricuspid-valve endocarditis. In this report, we present a case of a 66-year-old man with pacemaker lead infection and tricuspid-native-valve endocarditis, related to Staphylococcus hominis, very rare cause of infective endocarditis that carries a high-mortality risk. Surgery was indicated for the patient due to persistent enlarging vegetation on the tricuspid valve, severe tricuspid regurgitation, septic pulmonary emboli and finally uncompensated respiratory and heart failure.

Improved results of the vacuum assisted closure and Nitinol clips sternal closure after postoperative deep sternal wound infection.

Objective: Postoperative deep sternal wound infection is a severe complication of cardiac surgery, with a high mortality rate and a high morbidity rate. The objective of this prospective study is to report our experience with the vacuum assisted closure (VAC) system for the management of deep wound infection. We also devised an innovative closure technique post VAC therapy using thermo reactive clips.

Endogenous erythropoietin and a single bolus of 40,000 IU of epoetin alpha do not protect the heart from ischaemia-reperfusion injury during extracorporeal circulation for cardiac surgery.

Erythropoietin (EPO) exerts a tissue-protective activity in several non-haematopoietic tissues such as heart, brain, spinal cord and muscle. We evaluated the relationship between pre-operative endogenous EPO blood levels and myocardial damage in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Furthermore, we investigated whether pre-operative administration of a single bolus of 40,000 IU epoetin alpha (EPOalpha) would reduce troponin I or creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB) after on-pump coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.

Spontaneous left main coronary artery dissection.

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection is a rare and generally fatal disease. A review of the literature demonstrates that the aetiopathogenesis of the disease is unknown and that the histology is rarely described. It usually occurs in young women during the post-partum period or while taking oral contraceptives.

HMGB1-stimulated human primary cardiac fibroblasts exert a paracrine action on human and murine cardiac stem cells.

High Mobility Box 1 Protein (HMGB1) is a cytokine released into the extracellular space by necrotic cells and activated macrophages in response to injury. We recently demonstrated that HMGB1 administration into the mouse heart during acute myocardial infarction induces cardiac tissue regeneration by activating resident cardiac c-kit+ cells (CSCs) and significantly enhances left ventricular function. In the present study it was analyzed the hypothesis that human cardiac fibroblasts (cFbs) exposed to HMGB1 may exert a paracrine effect on mouse and human CSCs.

Autologous bone marrow mononuclear cell transplantation in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.

Background: Recent studies have shown that autologous bone marrow mononuclear cell (aBM-MNC) transplantation can be effectively performed in human beings either by the coronary route or by endoventricular injections. However, scanty data are available for patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Accordingly, the aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of aBM-MNC transplantation in patients with recent myocardial infarction undergoing CABG.

[Two cardiac tumors with left ventricular location: myxoma and papillary fibroelastoma].

We report 2 clinical cases of cardiac tumors, myxoma and papillary fibroelastoma, with unusual ventricular location. The clinical manifestations of these entities are not well described. Usually the patients are asymptomatic even if they have a high risk for cardiac and systemic embolic events so that these neoplasms are recognized during life more often in patients evaluated for embolic events of unclear pathology.

[Repair of post-infarct left ventricular rupture with pericardial patch].

The devolpment of a left ventricular rupture after myocardial infarction is not a rare complication. We report a case of 70-year-old male patient with clinical and instrumental signs of cardiac tamponade after left ventricular rupture. We repaired this lesion with pericardial patch and biological Glue without extracorporeal circulation and sutureless.

[Repair technique of post-infarction ventricular free wall rupture with pericardial patch].

The development of a left ventricular rupture after myocardial infarction is not a rare complication. We report a case of 70-year-old male patient with clinical and instrumental signs of cardiac tamponade after left ventricular rupture. We repaired this lesion with pericardial patch and biological Glue without extracorporeal circulation and sutureless.