Tuberculosis of hand and wrist: Varied clinical presentation and functional outcome by surgical intervention in 13 cases.

A prospective study of 13 cases with tuberculosis of hand and wrist was presented with mean age of patients being 42.7 years (range 18 months to 84 years). Pain, swelling and difficulty in movement of adjacent joints were the most common presenting complaints.

Evaluation of serum and salivary PCSK9 and IL6 and its association with periodontal inflammation and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases.

Background: and Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess, compare and correlate the ability of PCSK9 and IL6 as potential common serum and salivary biomarkers for stage III/IV periodontitis and the risk of developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases.

Methods: 76 patients were alloted into 4 groups consisting of subjects with clinically healthy periodontium and stage III/IV periodontitis with and without ACVD. Clinical parameters - PD, CAL, number of teeth, PI, mSBI, TC, Tg, HDL and LDL were recorded.

Patient-reported outcomes in the aging population of adults with congenital heart disease: results from APPROACH-IS.

The congenital heart disease (CHD) population now comprises an increasing number of older persons in their 6th decade of life and beyond. We cross-sectionally evaluated patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in persons with CHD aged 60 years or older, and contrasted these with PROs of younger patients aged 40-59 years and 18-39 years. Adjusted for demographic and medical characteristics, patients ≥60 years had a lower Physical Component Summary, higher Mental Component Summary, and lower anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety) scores than patients in the two younger categories.

Deep sequencing unveils altered cardiac miRNome in congenital heart disease.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) surges from fetal cardiac dysmorphogenesis and chiefly contributes to perinatal morbidity and cardiovascular disease mortality. A continual rise in prevalence and prerequisite postoperative disease management creates need for better understanding and new strategies to control the disease. The interaction between genetic and non-genetic factors roots the multifactorial status of this disease, which remains incompletely explored.

Heart Failure and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Adults With Congenital Heart Disease from 15 Countries.

Background Heart failure (HF) is the leading cause of mortality and associated with significant morbidity in adults with congenital heart disease. We sought to assess the association between HF and patient-report outcomes in adults with congenital heart disease. Methods and Results As part of the APPROACH-IS (Assessment of Patterns of Patient-Reported Outcomes in Adults with Congenital Heart disease-International Study), we collected data on HF status and patient-reported outcomes in 3959 patients from 15 countries across 5 continents.

Evaluation of the periodontal viruses in cardiovascular patients associated with periodontitis.

Objectives: The current study aimed in evaluating the prevalence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and herpes simplex virus (HSV) in periodontitis and/or coronary artery disease (CAD) patients to compare with their healthy controls and insist their significance in the same.

Methodology: Two hundred and forty patients were divided into 4 groups. Non-periodontitis+non-cardiac (NP+NC) = 60 patients, periodontitis+non-cardiac patients (P+NC) = 60 patients, non-periodontitis+cardiac patients (NP+C) = 60 patients, and periodontitis+cardiac (P+C) = 60 patients.

COVID-19: The Cause of the Manifested Cardiovascular Complications During the Pandemic.

In the course of human history, we encountered several devastating waves of pandemics, affecting millions of lives globally and now the rapid and progressive spread of the novel SARS-CoV-2, causing Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has created a worldwide wave of crisis. Profoundly straining national health care systems, it also significantly impacted the global economic stability. With the introduction of COVID-19 measures, mainly driven by immunization drives, casualties due to the virus were reported to decrease considerably.

Avalanches in cardiology.

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) accounts for 15%-60% of mortality in patients with heart disease. Generally, this has been attributed to ventricular tachyarrhythmia. However, ventricular tachyarrhythmia has been documented or strongly suspected on clinical grounds in a relatively small proportion of SCD patients (8%-50%).

Early multicenter experience of Melody valve implantation in India.

Background: Transcatheter valves provide a safe and effective alternative to surgery for treating dysfunctional right ventricular outflow tracts (RVOTs). We present our early multicenter experience of percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI) using Melody valve (Medtronic Inc., Minneapolis, MN).

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on bariatric surgery in India: An obesity and metabolic surgery society of India survey of 1307 patients.

Background: Although safe practice guidelines were issued by the Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society of India (OSSI) in the end of May 2020, surgeons have been in a dilemma about risk of subjecting patients to hospitalisation and bariatric surgery. This survey was conducted with the objective to evaluate the risk of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) infection in peri- and post-operative period after bariatric and metabolic surgery (BMS).

Methods: A survey with OSSI members was conducted from 20 July 2020 to 31 August 2020 in accordance with EQUATOR guidelines.

Interscapular pain with Chiari Type I malformation attributed to atypical spinal accessory neuralgia.

Background: The spinal accessory nerve (XI) is traditionally considered a motor nerve. However, as some studies have documented the presence of nociceptive fibers in XI, vascular XI neural compression may lead to an atypical neuralgia.

Case Description: A 27-year-old male presented with a Chiari Type I malformation contributing to interscapular pain.

A meta analysis for evaluation of marginal bone level changes at dental implants.

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the marginal bone level changes at dental implants after 1 year in function.

Methods: Detailed searches from PubMed databases were made. A MEDLINE search (PubMed) published in the English language from 1980 to December 2018 was included in this study.

Perceptions, Expectations, and Experience of Physicians About Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Care Services in Pakistan: Findings and Implications.

Optimal collaboration between pharmacists and other healthcare professionals such as physicians is integral in implementing pharmaceutical care. However, there are concerns regarding the role of pharmacists, especially among low- and middle-income countries. This study explored the perceptions, expectations, and experience of physicians working in various hospital settings of Punjab, Pakistan, about pharmacists and their roles.

Phenotypes of adults with congenital heart disease around the globe: a cluster analysis.

Objective: To derive cluster analysis-based groupings for adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) when it comes to perceived health, psychological functioning, health behaviours and quality of life (QoL).

Methods: This study was part of a larger worldwide multicentre study called APPROACH-IS; a cross sectional study which recruited 4028 patients (2013-2015) from 15 participating countries. A hierarchical cluster analysis was performed using Ward's method in order to group patients with similar psychological characteristics, which were defined by taking into consideration the scores of the following tests: Sense Of Coherence, Health Behavior Scale (physical exercise score), Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale, Illness Perception Questionnaire, Satisfaction with Life Scale and the Visual Analogue Scale scores of the EQ-5D perceived health scale and a linear analogue scale (0-100) measuring QoL.

Patient-Reported Outcomes in Adults With Congenital Heart Disease Following Hospitalization (from APPROACH-IS).

In this international study, we (1) compared patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) who had versus had not been hospitalized during the previous 12 month, (2) contrasted PROs in patients who had been hospitalized for cardiac surgery versus nonsurgical reasons, (3) assessed the magnitude of differences between the groups (i.e., effect sizes), and (4) explored differential effect sizes between countries.

A Multicenter Prospective Hospital-based Cohort Study on the Efficacy and Safety of Pitavastatin.

Aims: We aim to investigate the efficacy and safety of pitavastatin 4 mg in a population of people living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Background: Pitavastatin is a member of the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors family which was approved for use in adult subjects with primary hyperlipidemia or mixed dyslipidemia. To date, no published studies have assessed the efficacy and safety of pitavastatin in the United Arab Emirates.

Practical approach for safe anesthesia in a COVID-19 patient scheduled for emergency laparotomy.

COVID-19 patients presenting for emergency laparotomy require evaluation of surgical illness and viral disease. As these patients are likely to have a wide spectrum of deranged physiology and organ dysfunction, optimization should start preoperatively and continue through intraoperative and postoperative recovery periods along with appropriate antimicrobial cover. The goal should be not to delay damage control surgery in favor of evaluation and optimization.

Atrial arrhythmias and patient-reported outcomes in adults with congenital heart disease: An international study.

Background: Atrial arrhythmias (ie, intra-atrial reentrant tachycardia and atrial fibrillation) are a leading cause of morbidity and hospitalization in adults with congenital heart disease (CHD). Little is known about their effect on quality of life and other patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in adults with CHD.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of atrial arrhythmias on PROs in adults with CHD and explore geographic variations.

Physical Functioning, Mental Health, and Quality of Life in Different Congenital Heart Defects: Comparative Analysis in 3538 Patients From 15 Countries.

Background: We compared physical functioning, mental health, and quality of life (QoL) of patients with different subtypes of congenital heart disease (CHD) in a large international sample and investigated the role of functional class in explaining the variance in outcomes across heart defects.

Methods: In the cross-sectional Assessment of Patterns of Patient-Reported Outcome in Adults with Congenital Heart Disease-International Study (APPROACH-IS), we enrolled 4028 adult patients with CHD from 15 countries. Diagnostic groups with at least 50 patients were included in these analyses, yielding a sample of 3538 patients (median age: 32 years; 52% women).

Sense of coherence in adults with congenital heart disease in 15 countries: Patient characteristics, cultural dimensions and quality of life.

Background: Previous studies have found that sense of coherence (SOC) is positively related to quality of life (QoL) in persons with chronic conditions. In congenital heart disease (CHD), the evidence is scant.

Aims: We investigated (i) intercountry variation in SOC in a large international sample of adults with CHD; (ii) the relationship between demographic and clinical characteristics and SOC; (iii) the relationship between cultural dimensions of countries and SOC; and (iv) variation in relative importance of SOC in explaining QoL across the countries.

Healthcare system inputs and patient-reported outcomes: a study in adults with congenital heart defect from 15 countries.

Background: The relationship between healthcare system inputs (e.g., human resources and infrastructure) and mortality has been extensively studied.

Evidence linking the role of periodontal viruses in coronary artery disease with and without periodontitis.

Background: Viruses are considered to be a newer family associated with inflammatory diseases. Yet the role of periodontal viruses in coronary artery diseases (CAD) remains unclear. Thus, the current study aims to evaluate the prevalence of periodontal viruses and compare the same in cardiac samples of CAD patients with and without periodontitis.

A multicentre retrospective study on quality and outcomes of cardiac rehabilitation programs in India.

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs in India are comprehensive in nature, consist of multidisciplinary teams and demonstrate significant improvement in various clinical parameters. However, there is a disparity in patient evaluation, risk assessment, data collection and documentation. CR programs in India need to be streamlined to meet the quality indicators outlined by the international guideline recommendations.