Background And Aims: Effective hypercholesterolemia management is linked to lower all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. The 2018 AHA/ACC guidelines recommended using the Pooled Cohort Equations (PCE) for lipid management, but these may overestimate risk and be less accurate for certain racial groups. The AHA's new PREVENT equation, which omits race and includes cardiometabolic factors, aims to provide a more accurate risk assessment for a diverse population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMethodist Debakey Cardiovasc J
August 2024
Despite significant advancements in managing acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarctions, the prevalence of heart failure has not decreased. Emerging paradigms with a focus on reducing infarct size show promising evidence in the improvement of the incidence of heart failure after experiencing acute coronary syndromes. Limiting infarct size has been the focus of multiple clinical trials over the past decades and has led to left ventricular (LV) unloading as a potential mechanism.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntracranial bleeds, such as subarachnoid hemorrhage, carry high morbidity and mortality rates. Often intracranial hemorrhages result in debilitating residual neurological symptoms but can be so extensive that cardiac complications can also be seen. We present a rare case of a patient who was found to have a subarachnoid hemorrhage that incited the development of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, which subsequently progressed to an acute myocardial infarction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCardiorenal syndrome (CRS) continues to be an area of concern due to the changing understanding of identification, pathophysiology and optimal management. Originally thought that diuretics were always the answer, recent literature has shed lights on the five major CRS subphenotypes, and while conceptual in their classifications, different strategies may be utilized to manage each type. The effect of CRS in pregnant women is largely under discussed and underappreciated as its own entity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThere is significant morbidity and mortality associated with the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD) in the setting of orthotopic liver transplantation in patients with end-stage liver disease. The prevalence of CAD in this cohort is similar to, if not higher, than the general population. Several studies show improved survival rates for patients with obstructive CAD who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and support a low threshold for PCI in these patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose Of Review: The ISCHEMIA trial demonstrated no difference in myocardial infarction or death in patients with stable coronary disease and moderate or large ischemia territory treated either with invasive revascularization or optimal medical therapy. Whether the findings of the randomized control trial relates to real-world outcomes is uncertain.
Recent Findings: Contemporary guideline-directed medical therapy has had a significant impact on the prognosis of coronary artery disease.
Eur J Case Rep Intern Med
August 2021
Background: Patients with sickle cell disease can experience various crises including sequestration crisis, haemolytic crisis and aplastic crisis. Due to alloantibody formation, transfusion alloantibodies can cause a haemolytic crisis. Treatment involves avoiding packed red blood cell transfusions, as well as intravenous immunoglobulin, steroids and eculizumab to decrease the chances of haemolysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFis a gram-positive catalase-negative cocci and commensal flora of the oropharynx and gastrointestinal tract. is known to be highly virulent and known to cause invasive pyogenic infection which may necessitate emergent surgical treatment. We present a case of a 53-year-old female with dental caries and uncontrolled diabetes mellitus who presented with progressive shortness of breath for 1 week.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Although there have been associations between diabetes and mortality in COVID-19 patients, it is unclear whether this is driven by the disease itself or whether it can be attributed to an inability to exhibit effective glucose control.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 292 patients admitted to a tertiary referral center to assess the association of mortality and glycemic control among COVID-19-positive patients. We used a logistic regression model to determine whether average fasting glycemic levels were associated with in-hospital mortality.
Background: The objective of the study was to compare the renal outcomes in patients presenting with all-cause cardiogenic shock who were supported by either Impella devices (Abiomed, Danvers, MA), intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP), or vasopressors alone. Outcomes of cardiogenic shock remain poor even with the advancement of early revascularization and circulatory supportive care. Percutaneous mechanical circulatory support (MCS) device has emerged as an effective strategy in protecting end organ function especially renal function during high risk percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and in patients with cardiogenic shock.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOff-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG) may be performed on patients with high surgical risk who are poor candidates for traditional mechanical circulatory support. Hemodynamic support with micro-axial mechanical circulatory devices has been performed with limited but promising results.We report a case of a 66-year-old male with multiple comorbidities and low cardiac output undergoing OPCABG.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPancreatic adenocarcinoma has a poor 5-year survival rate despite many advancements in pharmacotherapies. Studies have suggested the involvement of β-adrenergic pathway in the progression of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Animal experiments and retrospective trials have reported the use of beta-blockers as potential chemo-preventative agents.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) syndrome is a systemic inflammatory syndrome that causes small-to-medium vessel vasculitis due to cryoglobulin-containing immune complexes most commonly caused by chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV), and rarely by chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV). Its clinical presentation is significantly varied, with manifestations ranging from purpura, arthralgia, and myalgia to more severe neurologic and renal involvement. Pulmonary involvement as organizing pneumonia, alveolar hemorrhage, and pulmonary vasculitis have been reported, but appear to be quite rare.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHyperglycemic hyperosmolar non-ketotic syndrome (HHNS) is a life-threatening complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus with a wide range of presenting symptoms. Neurological symptoms, such as coma, can also be part of the manifestation of HHNS; however, focal seizures remain a rare but notable association. A 85-year-old male patient with no history of diabetes presented to our emergency department complaining of a two-day history of twitching movements of his left wrist.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Cardiovasc Dev Dis
September 2020
According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death globally, claiming millions of lives each year with an increasing prevalence. Myocardial infarction (MI) makes up a large sum of these deaths each year. While MI in itself is lethal, there are several complications that can increase the morbidity and mortality of an MI, such as left ventricular wall rupture and aneurysms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFis well known to be a potential etiology of bacterial meningitis in neonates. Invasive has been also reported in nonpregnant adults. Among adults, the incidence of invasive group B Streptococcus (GBS) has been increasing 2-4 times in the past 2 decades.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Investig Med High Impact Case Rep
April 2021
Gray zone lymphoma, also known as B-cell lymphoma, unclassifiable, with features intermediate between diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and classical Hodgkin lymphoma, is a rare malignancy with overlapping features of both diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and classical Hodgkin lymphoma. Most commonly mediastinal involvement is seen. Extranodal involvement is rare.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRespiratory failure is presumptively caused by microvascular thrombosis in some patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) requiring therapeutic anticoagulation. Anticoagulation treatment may cause life-threatening bleeding complications such as retroperitoneal hemorrhage. To the best of our knowledge, we report first case of a COVID-19 patient treated with therapeutic anticoagulation resulting in psoas hematoma due to lumbar artery bleeding.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF() is a β-hemolytic coagulase-negative staphylococcus causing skin and soft tissue infections with an increasing incidence. Commonly found as normal flora in the perineal region, has been found in rare cases of infective endocarditis causing increased morbidity and mortality. We present a case of a previously healthy young male diagnosed with -caused infective endocarditis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Emphysematous bullae, defined as airspaces of greater than or equal to one centimeter in diameter, have a variety of etiologies such as tobacco use and alpha-1 antitrypsin being the most common. Emphysematous bullae have also been reported in patients using cocaine usually involving the lung periphery and sparing the central lung parenchyma. We present a case of a male with a history of cocaine abuse found to have a singular giant emphysematous bulla occupying >95% of the right hemithorax requiring video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) with a favorable outcome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThyroid storm is a rare endocrine emergency with a high mortality rate approaching 20%. It manifests with the exaggerated symptoms of hyperthyroidism including hyperpyrexia, hypotension, cardiac arrhythmias, and death. The mainstay of treatment includes supportive intensive care and initiation of thionamides, beta blockers, corticosteroids, and if necessary anti-arrhythmics in the presence of refractory ventricular arrhythmias.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAcute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a major cause of mortality in adults with acute hypoxic respiratory failure and can predispose those afflicted to develop acute kidney injury (AKI). In the setting where AKI and ARDS overlap, incidence of mortality, length of intensive care unit stay, and complexity of management increases drastically. Lung protective ventilation strategy and conservative fluid management are the main focus of therapy in patients with ARDS, but have major implications on renal function.
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