Rates of PCR Positivity of Pleural Drainage Fluid in COVID-19 Patients: Is It Expected?

Background: Tube thoracostomy, utilized through conventional methodologies in the context of pleural disorders such as pleural effusion and pneumothorax, constitutes one of the primary therapeutic interventions. Nonetheless, it is imperative to recognize that invasive procedures, including tube thoracostomy, are classified as aerosol-generating activities during the management of pleural conditions in patients afflicted with COVID-19, thus raising substantial concerns regarding the potential exposure of healthcare personnel to the virus. The objective of this investigation was to assess the SARS-CoV-2 viral load by detecting viral RNA in pleural drainage specimens from patients who underwent tube thoracostomy due to either pleural effusion or pneumothorax.

Multi-Center Experience of Coronary Artery Perforation During Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Clinical and Angiographic Characteristics, Management, and Outcomes Between 2010 and 2020.

Background: Coronary artery perforations are one of the most feared, rare, and catastrophic complication of percutaneous coronary intervention. Despite the remarkable increase in coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention, there is no large database that collects coronary artery perforation for the Turkish population. Our study aimed to report our experience over a 10-year period for clinical and angiographic characteristics, management strategies, and outcomes of coronary artery perforation during the percutaneous coronary intervention at different cardiology departments in Turkey.

Contribution of Metabolic Tumor Volume and Total Lesion Glycolysis to Predict Prognosis in Early-Stage Lung Cancer at Preoperative Staging.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) values of the primary tumor measured by preoperative positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) on survival in patients with operated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Study Design: Cohort study.

Place And Duration Of Study: Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Oncology from January 2017 to June 2020, Turkey.

Management of primary spontaneous pneumothorax: Our single-center, five-year experience.

Background: In this study, we aimed to analyze the effects of admission time to the hospital and different variables on the treatment efficiency and to evaluate the recurrence during the clinical management process in patients with the diagnosis of primary spontaneous pneumothorax.

Methods: A total of 149 patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax (131 males, 18 females; mean age: 24.8±6.

Effect of meteorological factors on first episode and recurrence of primary spontaneous pneumothorax.

Objective: In this study, we evaluated the clinical characteristics and seasonal distribution of patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax and examined the relationships between meteorological factors and pneumothorax development overall and in terms of first episode and recurrence.

Methods: The hospital records of 168 pneumothorax patients treated in our clinic between January 2016 and December 2020 were reviewed retrospectively. A cluster was defined as two or more patients with pneumothorax presenting within three consecutive days.

Demographic, Clinical, and Angiographic Characteristics of Atrial Fibrillation Patients Suffering From de novo Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Subgroup Analysis of the MINOCA-TR Study Population.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) prevalence in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) ranges from 3% to 25%. However demographic, clinical, and angiographic characteristics of AF patients who admitted with de novo MI are unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of patients presenting with de novo MI with AF.

Dabigatran for stroke prevention in real life in a sample of population from Turkey: D-SPIRIT registry.

Objective: The D-SPIRIT registry is designed to investigate the safety and effectiveness of dabigatran etexilate in patients with atrial fibrillation in routine clinical practice.

Methods: D-SPIRIT is the first national, multicenter, prospective, observational, postmarketing registry that investigates the usage of dabigatran in real life. A total of 326 noveloral anticoagulant-eligible patients with atrial fibrillation who have been taking dabigatran etexilate therapy for stroke prevention at least 6 months from 9 different centers were enrolled into the registry.

Current clinician perspective on non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant use in challenging clinical cases.

Objective: The evolution of non-vitamin K antagonist anticoagulants (NOACs) has changed the horizon of stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (SPAF). All 4 NOACs have been tested against dose-adjusted warfarin in well-designed, pivotal, phase III, randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) and were approved by regulatory authorities for an SPAF indication. However, as traditional RCTs, these trials have important weaknesses, largely related to their complex structure and patient participation, which was limited by strict inclusion and extensive exclusion criteria.

The relationship between serum apelin levels and aortic dilatation in bicuspid aortic valve patients.

Objective: The bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most common congenital heart disease. The process of aortic dilatation is not completely clear in patients with the BAV. Apelin is a peptide found at high levels in vascular endothelial cells which has a role in vascular regulation and cardiovascular function.

Assessment of bicuspid aortic valve phenotypes and associated pathologies: A transesophageal echocardiographic study.

Objective: We investigated the frequency of different bicuspid aortic valve disease (BAV) phenotypes,the associated valvular pathologies, and the aortopathy phenotypes, using 2-dimensional (2D) transthoracic, 2D transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and 3-dimensional (3D) TEE.

Methods: A total of 154 patients with BAV were included. Five BAV phenotypes were detected.

Screening first-degree relatives of patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Background: This study evaluated whether subclinical myocardial dysfunction occurs in first-degree relatives of patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM), using strain echocardiographic imaging, before apparent left ventricular (LV) failure is observed.

Patients And Methods: The study comprised 77 subjects aged 16-63 years who had first-degree relatives with a previous or new diagnosis of IDCM. LV myocardial deformation parameters of the first-degree relatives with normal LVEF (≥55%) values, as assessed using 2D echocardiography, were evaluated.

Early Reverse Cardiac Remodeling Effect of Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy.

Background: This study evaluated the early postoperative benefits of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) on the left ventricular (LV) function and left atrial (LA) structural, mechanical, and electrical functions in severely obese patients.

Methods: Thirty-two patients with severe obesity who were consecutively scheduled for LSG and 30 healthy controls were included in the study. LV global longitudinal strain (LGS), peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS), and strain rates (S-Sr, E-Sr, and A-Sr) of the lateral and septal LA walls, and intra- and interatrial dyssynchrony periods for all subjects were evaluated using strain echocardiography.

Design and rationale of dabigatran's stroke prevention in real life in Turkey (D-SPIRIT).

Objective: The D-SPIRIT registry is designed to investigate the safety and efficacy of dabigatran etexilate in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) and to collect data on outcomes in clinical practice.

Methods: The D-SPIRIT is a national, prospective, observational, post-marketing registry involving patients with NVAF who have been taking dabigatran etexilate therapy for stroke prevention for a minimum of 6 months prior to enrollment. The registry will collect and analyze data from routine care, enrolling up to 600 patients in 9 centers.

Isolated Congenital Unilateral Agenesis of the Left Pulmonary Artery with Left Lung Hypoplasia in an Asymptomatic Adult Patient.

Unlabelled: The congenital unilateral agenesis of pulmonary artery is a congenital cardiovascular anomaly rarely seen in adulthood. A 21-year-old asymptomatic male was admitted to our hospital to obtain a routine health report to accompany a job application. Posteroanterior chest radiograph revealed a mediastinal shift to the left, with increased radiopacity in the left lung and increased radiolucency in the right lung.

Chronic Papillary Muscle Rupture: 14-Year Survival without Surgical Treatment.

Unlabelled: Papillary muscle rupture is a life-threatening complication of myocardial infarction which is usually refractory to medical treatment. We present a very rare case of a 65-year-old woman who had a myocardial infarction and posteromedial papillary muscle rupture which was only treated with medical therapy, including her corresponding 14-year follow-up. However, surgical intervention is still strongly recommended because the prognosis of acute papillary muscle rupture associated with myocardial infarction remains poor.

Evaluating functional capacity, and mortality effects in the presence of atrial electromechanical conduction delay in patients with systolic heart failure.

Objective: Atrial functions are relatively suppressed in heart failure (HF). We aimed to investigate the associations of intra- and inter-atrial electromechanical conduction delay (EMCD) with functional class and mortality over a 12-month follow-up period.

Methods: The prospective study included 65 patients with systolic HF and 65 healthy subjects with normal sinus rhythm.

Evaluation of Trastuzumab-induced early cardiac dysfunction using two-dimensional Strain Echocardiography.

Aim: Trastuzumab, a chemotherapeutic agent used in the treatment of breast cancer. has been shown to induce subclinical left ventricular (LV) dysfunction during a three to six month period as evidenced by strain echocardiographic examination without any change occurring in the ejection fraction of LV. The present study evaluated the presence of subclinical LV dysfunction using strain echocardiography 1 day and 7 days after the initiation of trastuzumab therapy.

Predictors of Future Atrial Fibrillation Development in Patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: A Prospective Follow-Up Study.

Background: We evaluated whether left atrial (LA) phasic functions, P-wave dispersion (PWD), and plasma NT-proBNP levels could predict future development of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

Methods: Seventy patients with HCM were evaluated. The LA phasic functions including the LA total emptying volume (LATEV), LA total emptying fraction (LATEF), LA active emptying volume (LAAEV), LA active emptying fraction (LAAEF), LA passive emptying volume (LAPEV), and LA passive emptying fraction (LAPEF) were evaluated.

Galectin-3 levels in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and its relationship with left ventricular mass index and function.

Objective: Cardiac fibrosis is an important contributor to adverse left ventricular (LV) remodeling and arrhythmias in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a novel marker of cardiac fibrosis and inflammation. In this study, we investigated Gal-3 levels in patients with HCM and controls and assessed the relationship between Gal-3 level and echocardiographic indices using strain echocardiography in patients with HCM.

Diagnostic value of combining heart rate recovery and P-wave changes with exercise-induced changes in the ST segments for prediction of myocardial ischaemia.

Background: In patients admitted to outpatient clinics with chest pain, changes in the ST-segments of electrocardiogram (ECG) readings are the most widely used criteria during treadmill ECG tests to determine myocardial ischaemia, despite its poor accuracy. In this study, we evaluated the benefit of combining elongation of P-wave duration (Pdur) and abnormal heart rate recovery (HRR) parameters in addition to changes in the ST-segments for the detection of myocardial ischaemia with treadmill ECG testing.

Methods: Patients (n = 369) with chest pain who underwent both a treadmill ECG test and myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) were enrolled.

Predictors of Atrial Fibrillation Risk in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a genetic cardiovascular disease that predisposes individuals to the development of arrhythmias. The most common sustained arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation (AF). Compared with the general population, patients with HCM are more prone to the development of AF.

Epicardial fat, body mass index, and triglyceride are independent contributors of serum fibroblast growth factor 21 level in obese premenopausal women.

Purpose: The hormone fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21) regulates carbohydrate and lipid homeostasis. FGF-21 represents an attractive novel therapy for obesity since administration of FGF-21 has been shown to improve metabolic abnormalities in obese animal models. We investigated FGF-21 and its relationship with epicardial fat thickness (EFT), metabolic parameters, and inflammatory markers in premenopausal obese women compared to controls with similar Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) project risk profiles.

The left atrial phasic functions and the relationship with plasma N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels and symptomatic states in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate left atrium (LA) phasic functions and relation with N-terminal pro-B- type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels and symptomatic states of the patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

Methods: Left atrial volume was calculated at end-systole (Vmax), end-diastole and pre-atrial contraction by echocardiography in 75 patients with HCM and 75 control subjects. Left atrial ejection fraction (LAEF), expansion index (LAEI), active emptying volume index (LAAEVI) and fraction (LAAEFr), passive emptying volume index (LAPEVI) and fraction (LAPEFr) were calculated.