Cardiology Commons^™

Surgical Correction Of A Complex Aorto-Mitral Pathology, Kubilay Karabacak, Emre Kubat, Elgin Hacızade, Suat Doğancı, Cengiz Bolcal

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Pseudoaneurysm of mitral-aortic intervalvular fibrosa is a rare entity related to mostly infective endocarditis and surgical trauma of aortic valve. Its diagnosis may be missed following trans-thoracic echocardiographic assessment. Therefore, further imaging investigation such as trans-esophageal echocardiography and computed tomographic angiography may play a key diagnostic role. Here we present the successful surgical treatment of a 30- year-old male patient referred for surgical treatment of mixed severe calcific aortic valve disease and apparently without additional anatomical abnormalities.

Maine Medical Center Experience With Left Ventricular Device Explantation, Laura Onderko, Lauren Vickerson, Andrew Schwartzman

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2022

Introduction •Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is an implantable heart pump that helps support the heart in patients with end stage heart failure with reduced ejection fraction •LVAD therapy is now approved for use as a bridge to transplantation (BTT) and as a destination therapy (DT) in patients who are not candidates for heart transplantation. •The existing literature suggests that close to 10% of patients implanted with LVAD could be explanted for recovery, but the actual rate of explant is significantly lower •Need to examine the clinical course of explanted patients to provide better guidance for the decision to explant …

Takotsubo’Scardiomyopathy: Clinical Characteristics And Outcomes In The Rural State Of Maine, Laura Onderko, Bhavini Prajapati, Wendy Craig, Roisin Morgan

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2022

Pre-existing psychiatric diagnosis linked to developing Takotsubo’sCardiomyopathy. Patients from rural areas less likely to be on psychiatric medications and had higher Takotsubo’srecurrence rate.

Social Determinants Of Care In The Mmc Cardiology Fellow’S Clinic, Bhavini Prajapati, Laura Onderko, Darcy Chandler, Sanjeev Francis

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2022

Introduction • Social determinants of health are upstream risk factors for cardiovascular disease. • Patients seen in the Cardiology Fellow’s Clinic at MMC are a diverse group that are burdened by many socioeconomic issues. • Addressing these disparities has the potential to prevent the development of other comorbidities known to increase the risk of a cardiovascular event. • The aim of this project was to identify the prevalence of these factors in the cardiology fellow’s clinic

Mycotic Aortic Aneurysm: A Rare Etiology Of Septic Shock., Kaitlin M Bowers, Vishnu Mudrakola, Christopher M Lloyd

Heart and Vascular Articles

Mycotic aneurysm of the aorta is a rare disease with a high mortality rate due to its likelihood of aneurysmal rupture. This syndrome is predominantly seen in patients over age 65 with the most common presenting symptoms being fever and back pain. Our case illustrates a mycotic aneurysm of the aorta presenting in an elderly female with vague abdominal pain, flank pain, and generalized weakness. We review the investigative approach, diagnostic modalities, and treatment options in patient management. This case emphasizes the need for a high index of suspicion of mycotic aneurysms of the aorta in critically ill elderly patients …

Strategic Recommendations To Bridge The Gaps In Awareness, Diagnosis And Prevention Of Heart Failure In The Middle East Region And Africa, Ahmed Bennis, Elijah N Ogola, Eric Klug, Hadi N. Skouri, Hilal Bahjet Al Saffar, Hany Ragy, Kamal Waheeb Alghalayini, Khaldoon A Alhumood, Magdy Abdelhamid, Mehmet Birhan Yilmaz, Ramzi Tabbalat, Yüksel Çavuşoğlu

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Abstract Objective: With the increasing burden of heart failure (HF) in the Middle East Region and Africa (MEA), it is imperative to shift the focus to prevention and early detection of cardiovascular diseases. We present a broad consensus of the real-world challenges and strategic recommendations for optimising HF care in the MEA region. Method: To bridge the gaps in awareness, prevention, and diagnosis of HF, an assembly of experts from MEA shared their collective opinions on the urgent unmet needs. Results: Lack of awareness in the community, high prevalence of risk factors, poor accessibility and affordability of care and diagnostics …

Septic Pulmonary Embolism Related To Right-Sided Infective Endocarditis, Amit Panjwani, Nooraldaem Yousif

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

No abstract provided.

Reducing 30 Day Chf Readmission Rates: Evaluating Medication Efficacy, Jesse Bebout Msn, Rn, Ccrn, Brandon May Bsn, Rn, Tiara Richmond Bsn, Rn, Margaret Harvey Phd, Aprn, Acnp-Bc, Chfn

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Purpose/Background Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of hospital readmissions and lost revenue under the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP). Medication management plays a crucial role in controlling HF symptoms leading to hospitalization. This scoping review examines the benefits of angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors versus beta-blockers in reducing hospital readmissions within 30 days of discharge related to heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) in the United States.

Methods We conducted a literature search from August 2020 to November 2021 on the Google Scholar, PubMed, and CINAHL databases using the key phrases heart failure with reduced ejection, beta-blockers, angiotensin receptor-neprilysin …

Advancements In Left Ventricular Assist Devices To Prevent Pump Thrombosis And Blood Coagulopathy, Grainne Malone, Gerges Abdelsayed, Fianait Bligh, Fatma Al Qattan, Saifullah Syed, Prateepan Varatharajullu, Augustin Msellati, Daniela Mwipatayi, Maimoona Azhar, Saulat Hasnain Fatimi

Section of Cardiothoracic Surgery

Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices, such as left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are very useful in improving outcomes in patients with advanced-stage heart failure. Despite recent advances in LVAD development, pump thrombosis is one of the most severe adverse events caused by LVADs. The contact of blood with artificial materials of LVAD pumps and cannulas triggers the coagulation cascade. Heat spots, for example, produced by mechanical bearings are often subjected to thrombus build-up when low-flow situations impair washout and thus the necessary cooling does not happen. The formation of thrombus in an LVAD may compromise its function, causing a drop …

Electrocardiogram-Based Machine Learning Emulator Model For Predicting Novel Echocardiography-Derived Phenogroups For Cardiac Risk-Stratification: A Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study, Heenaben B. Patel, Naveena Yanamala, Brijesh Patel, Sameer Raina, Peter D. Farjo, Srinidhi Sunkara, Márton Tokodi, Nobuyuki Kagiyama, Grace Casaclang-Verzosa, Partho P. Sengupta

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Electrocardiography (ECG)-derived machine learning models can predict echocardiography (echo)-derived indices of systolic or diastolic function. However, systolic and diastolic dysfunction frequently coexists, which necessitates an integrated assessment for optimal risk-stratification. We explored an ECG-derived model that emulates an echo-derived model that combines multiple parameters for identifying patient phenogroups at risk for major adverse cardiac events (MACE).

Methods: In this substudy of a prospective, multicenter study, patients from 3 institutions (n = 727) formed an internal cohort, and the fourth institution was reserved as an external test set (n = 518). A previously validated patient similarity analysis model was used …

Clinical Characteristics, Risk Factors, And Outcomes Among A Large Midwestern U.S. Cohort Of Patients Hospitalized With Covid-19 Prior To Vaccine Availability, Viviana Zlochiver, Ana Cristina Perez Moreno, Michael Peterson, Khalil Odeh, Ashley Mainville, Katherine Busniewski, Jon Wrobel, Mohamed Hommeida, Blair Tilkens, Payal Sharma, Hlu Vang, Sara Walczak, Fekadesilassie Moges, Kritika Garg, A. Jamil Tajik, Suhail Q. Allaqaband, Tanvir Bajwa, M. Fuad Jan

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic posed unprecedented demands on health care. This study aimed to characterize COVID-19 inpatients and examine trends and risk factors associated with hospitalization duration, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and in-hospital mortality.

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection hospitalized at an integrated health system between February 2, 2020, and December 12, 2020. Patient characteristics and clinical outcomes were obtained from medical records. Backward stepwise logistic regression analyses were used to identify independent risk factors of ICU admission and in-hospital mortality. Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate relationships between ICU admission and in-hospital …

A Project Proposal: The Effects Of Standard Protocols During Cpr On Hospital-Acquired Infections Of Post-Open-Heart Surgery Patients In The Cvicu, Jessica Monahan

Symposium of Student Scholars

Abstract

A Project Proposal: The Effects of Standard Protocols during CPR on Hospital-Acquired Infections of Post-Open-Heart Surgery Patients in the CVICU

Background: Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are one of the most common complications post-cardiac surgeries and are associated with longer hospitalizations, elevated use of healthcare resources, and increased morbidity and mortality. The effects of HAIs after cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in recent post-open-heart surgery patients remains largely unexplored. Therefore, the purpose of this project was to determine, in the CVICU does implementing standard protocols during CPR on recent post-open-heart surgery patients reduce HAIs?

Literature Review: HAIs during CPR can be acquired through …

Healthcare Expenditure Associated With Polypharmacy In Older Adults With Cardiovascular Diseases, Min Ji Kwak, Mihyun Chang, Simbo Chiadika, David Aguilar, Elenir Avritscher, Ashish Deshmukh, Parag Goyal, Dae Hyun Kim, Rajender Aparasu, Holly M Holmes

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

What Did We Learn About Vads In 2021?, Maya Guglin

The VAD Journal

This is our 8th annual literature review on mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices.

Our previous reports were well received by the readers. The full text of the reviews for 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020^1-7 were downloaded 821, 861, 701, 869, 951, 272, and 365 times, respectively.

In this review, we summarized the most interesting and important, from our standpoint, publications from 2021. There may be some slight overlap with the end of 2020 because some papers were published online first, and the year of the publication changed when they became …

Dronedarone For Atrial Fibrillation Prophylaxis In Patients Undergoing Open Heart Surgical Interventions: A Case Series, Jay D. Patel, Mrhaf Alsamman, Dewansh Goel, Sai Gudduru, Rakesh Prashad

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Atrial fibrillation (a-fib) is one of the most frequently encountered and studied arrhythmias in medicine. The presence of A-fib in the post-operative period of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is of particular concern for clinicians as this presents risks of post-operative stroke, hospital readmission, or anticoagulation dilemmas depending on the patient’s comorbidities. In this case study, we present 5 patients who were treated with dronedarone prior to undergoing open heart procedures. We subsequently followed each patients clinical course paying close attention for any evidence of post-operative a-fib.

Decreased Cognition Is Associated With Altered Cardiovascular Autonomic Functions And Decreased Baroreflex Sensitivity In Women With Premenstrual Syndrome, Jothi Marie Feula, Dhanalakshmi Yerrabelli, Gopal Krushna Pal, Soundirarajan Subhashri

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a clinical entity of concern in women of reproductive age group with its onset during the late luteal phase of the menstrual cycle that typically resolves within a few days after the onset of menstruation. Female reproductive hormones stimulate the gene promotor region of Gonadal steroids, which are modulators of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, in association with the autonomic nervous system (ANS), form the stress system, which regulates the homeostatic mechanisms of the body. Disruption of this mechanism can lead to sympathovagal imbalance and cognitive deficits. Objectives: This study was aimed to compare the autonomic functions and …

Protocol For A Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial Of Secondary Distribution Of Hepatitis C Self-Testing Within The Context Of A House-To-House Hepatitis C Micro-Elimination Programme In Karachi, Pakistan, Sonjelle Shilton, Dania Ali, Alyia Hasnain, Adeel Abid, Jessica Markby, Muhammad S. Jamil, Niklas Luhmann, Pamela Nabeta, Stefano Ongarello, Saeed Hamid

Medical College Documents

Background: Globally, just 21% of the estimated 58 million people living with hepatitis C virus (HCV) know their status. Thus, there is considerable need to scale-up HCV testing if the World Health Organization (WHO) 2030 hepatitis elimination goals are to be achieved. HCV self-testing may assist with this; however, there are currently no data on the real-world impact of HCV self-testing. With an estimated 5% of the general population living with HCV, Pakistan has the second highest HCV burden in the world. This study aims to evaluate the acceptability and impact of home delivery of HCV self-testing for secondary distribution …

Repurposing Probenecid For The Treatment Of Heart Failure (Re-Prosper-Hf): A Study Protocol For A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial, Jack Rubinstein, Nathan Robbins, Karen Evans, Gabrielle Foster, Kevin Mcconeghy, Toluwalope Onadeko, Julie Bunke, Melanie Parent, Xi Luo, Jacob Joseph, Wen-Chih Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Improving contractility in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) has resurfaced as a potential treatment goal. Inotropic therapy is now better understood through its underlying mechanism as opposed to the observed effect of increasing contractility. Calcitropes are a subgroup of inotropes that largely depend on the stimulation of adenylyl cyclase to transform ATP into cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). At least two clinically relevant calcitropes-istaroxime and probenecid-improve contractility through an increase in systolic intracellular calcium without activating cAMP production. Probenecid, which has been safely used clinically for decades in non-cardiac conditions, has recently been identified as an agonist of …

Applicability Of The Most Commonly Used Risk Scores For Patients Undergoing Isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting In Algeria, Abdelkader Boukhmis, Mohamed El-Amin Nouar, Mohamed Karim Guerchani

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Objectives: The applicability of European system for cardiac operative risk evaluation II (EuroSCORE II) and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk Of Mortality (STS-PROM) as well as the initial logistic Parsonnet risk score, who have been developed from European and American datasets, is questionable outside these regions. We aimed to assess the performance of these three risk scores for patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in Algeria. Methods: Between June 2014 and June 2016, data from 235 consecutive patients, who underwent isolated CABG at a reference center in Algiers, were prospectively collected and scored according to the …

Improving Heart Failure Patient Referrals To The Center For Advanced Heart Failure & Pulmonary Vascular Disease At Hartford Hospital: A Quality Improvement Project, Dawn M. Surprenant

DNP Projects

Significance and Background: According to the Health Resources & Services Administration (2021), health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to process and understand basic health information to make appropriate health decisions. Low health literacy is prevalent in populations such as older adults, minorities, and in individuals with lower socioeconomic status and living in medical underserved areas. Recommendations are to access health literacy in cardiac patients, especially in the acute care setting to improve health outcomes upon discharge.

Purpose: To determine whether a health literacy assessment in hospitalized congested heart failure patients, before discharge, will affect referral …

Identification Of Genetic Loci Simultaneously Associated With Multiple Cardiometabolic Traits, Alexis C Wood, Amit Arora, Michelle Newell, Victoria L Bland, Jin Zhou, Nicola Pirastu, Jose M Ordovas, Yann C Klimentidis

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background and aims: Cardiometabolic disorders (CMD) arise from a constellation of features such as increased adiposity, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and compromised glucose control. Many genetic loci have shown associations with individual CMD-related traits, but no investigations have focused on simultaneously identifying loci showing associations across all domains. We therefore sought to identify loci associated with risk across seven continuous CMD-related traits.

Methods and results: We conducted separate genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), low- and high- density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C/HDL-C), waist-to-hip-ratio (WHR), and triglycerides (TGs) in the UK Biobank (N = 356,574-456,823). Multiple …

Supraventricular Tachycardia Ablation And Its Effects On Anxiety Medications., Mohamed Mahmoud, Justin Haloot, Khadija El Kortbi, Vanessa Rodriguez Fuenmayor, Mubeen Cheema, Auroa Badin

Heart and Vascular Articles

BACKGROUND: Patients with true paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) are frequently misdiagnosed with panic or anxiety disorders due to similar symptoms of palpitations, light-headedness, dyspnea, or chest discomfort. Unrecognized PSVT can lead to unnecessary management with anxiety medications. Treatment of PSVT with catheter ablation may lead to a reduction in anxiety medications.  Methods: A total of 175 patients underwent successful PSVT ablation between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2020. We examined symptoms at presentation, psychiatric medications prior to PSVT ablation, comorbidities, and psychiatric medications at three months post-ablation.  Results: Fifteen percent of patients who underwent successful PSVT ablation were being …

Identifying The 'Vulnerable Plaque' In Asymptomatic Carotid Artery Disease Patients, Zia Ur Rehman

Department of Surgery Docs

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Survival Rates Between Two Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Protocols And The Association Of Crew Consistency, Stacey L. Parrish, Lori Kupczynski, Pradeep Vanguri

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Background: Cardiac arrest is a life-altering event that requires swift, coordinated actions from numerous individuals for patient survival. Although return of spontaneous circulation is the goal of every emergency medical service agency, survival rates continue to be low due to many factors. Many variables are out of direct control of emergency medical service agencies, but some, such as protocol development and personnel training, are well within their power. Purpose: The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine the new HP-CPR protocol implemented by a large southeastern urban fire rescue department to see if changes to existing protocol assisted, in …

What Should Patients Know About Self Blood Pressure Measurement? A Review Article, Sau-Nga Fu

Journal of the Hong Kong College of Cardiology

Many people measure their blood pressure (BP) outside doctors’ offices with a common goal of concerning their health status. Self-BP monitoring devices are widely accessible as health care products or available in different community institutes. Patients often seek their doctors’ advice on their BP readings in our daily practice. Current international guidelines recommend that correct self-BP measurement with validated devices can enhance patients’ self-management and drug compliance, improving overall BP control. While most of the clinicians were supportive of their patients’ efforts, they were also concerned about the validity and reliability of the out-of-office BP readings. How can we effectively …

Pre-Participation Cardiovascular Screening In Athletes With A Focus On Asia, Tee Joo Yeo

Journal of the Hong Kong College of Cardiology

Pre-participation screening (PPS) in young competitive athletes aims to identify conditions associated with sudden cardiac death (SCD) in this population, with a view to appropriate management and potential mitigation of risk. A medical history questionnaire and physical examination are standard components of a PPS programme, whereas controversy still exists regarding mandatory utilisation of resting 12-lead electrocardiogram as a screening tool. Apart from a landmark study from Italy attributing the reduction of SCD rates in athletes to the implementation of a mandatory PPS programme, there remains no additional compelling evidence for similar outcomes to date. Nonetheless, comprehensive PPS programmes when carried …

Back To Basic: A Case Of Difficult Intracoronary Thrombectomy To Left Main Bifurcation, Joyce Shek, Ho-Chuen Yuen, Ping-Tim Tsui

Journal of the Hong Kong College of Cardiology

Though not recommended routinely in primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), thrombus aspiration can be the gamechanger in treatment for selected patient. We report a case in which ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) due to a huge intracoronary saddle embolus in distal left main (LM) was successfully treated with difficult intracoronary thrombectomy. We will discuss the potential strength of different thrombectomy devices which led to the clinical success.

Supraventricular Tachycardia With Multiple Accessory Pathways, Ho-Chuen Yuen, Ngai-Yin Chan

Journal of the Hong Kong College of Cardiology

Ablation of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) with multiple accessory pathways remains challenging to electrophysiologists. We presented a case of recurrent SVT despite 2 previous successful ablations of 3 different accessory pathways. This patient underwent the third ablation. We would like to discuss the electrophysiologic property of multiple accessory pathways and the cause of SVT recurrence in this patient.

Global Longitudinal Strain In Acute Myocardial Infarction And Incidence Of In-Hospital Heart Failure., Hassan Ebeid, Rania Abdelhady, Khaled Ahmed Elkhashab, Mohamed Osama Hussein, Haytham Soliman Ghareeb

Journal of the Hong Kong College of Cardiology

BACKGROUND: Myocardial strain is a good prognostic factor independent of ejection fraction for outcomes in heart failure. We evaluated the prognostic role of global longitudinal strain in acute myocardial infarction to identify the likelihood of in-hospital heart failure. METHODS: Forty participants with acute myocardial infarction were included, ranked according to Killip class, and classified into 2 groups: patients complicated by in-hospital heart failure (Killip class II — IV) on admission or during hospital stay (n = 16) and patients with no clinical evidence of in-hospital heart failure (Killip class I) on admission or during hospital stay (n = 24). All …

Infective Endocarditis: An Old Problem With A Changing Face, Kin-Lam Tsui

Journal of the Hong Kong College of Cardiology

No abstract provided.