Internal Medicine Commons^™

When Myocardial Infarction Is Choosing Young Victims, Cristina Nedelcu, Mihaela Ionescu, Paris Ionescu, Vitalie Morosanu, Gabriel Smarandache, Dumitru Cristinel Badiu, Florentina Gherghiceanu, Vlad Denis Constantin, Emanuele Maria Merlo, Daniel Niţă

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

We present the case of a 31-year-old patient, without cardiovascular risk factors, without significant pathological or family history of cardiovascular disease, who was diagnosed with severe coronary artery disease, left main bifurcation localization, which required surgical coronary revascularization. The angiographic and intraoperative aspect excluded the most common causes of non-atherosclerotic causes of coronary lesions. Vasculitis was another possible etiology but was also excluded based on the normal clinical examination, negative inflammation markers, lack of diffuse vascular impairment, TPHA and negative VDRL. Prolonged mental stress can lead to accelerated progression of atherosclerosis by inducing endothelial dysfunction, our patient describing a “burnout …

Intestinal Microbiota – A Possible Contributor To Cardiovascular Diseases?, Roua Iorga, Ovidiu Gabriel Bratu, Nicolae Bacalbasa, Mihnea-Alexandru Gaman, Camelia Cristina Diaconu

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

The intestinal microbiota represents an interesting and emergent field of research, with already known implications in metabolic and immunological functions. Recently, there is increasing evidence that specific gut microbial populations are associated with cardiovascular diseases. Numerous completed and ongoing studies aim to evaluate the potential of intestinal microbiota assessment to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and therapeutic arsenal of cardiovascular diseases, considering dysbiosis as a cardiovascular risk factor. There is strong evidence for a correlation between intestinal flora imbalance and metabolic changes secondary to bacterial metabolites. In this minireview, we discuss recent data about the connections between intestinal microbiota and cardiovascular …

Flash Pulmonary Edema: A Case And Review Of Left Ventricular Non-Compaction Cardiomyopathy, Paula J. Watts, Oliver S. Garbo, Wendy Barrett, Michael Kopstein, Ryan Maybrook, Dmitriy Scherbak

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy is an uncommon type of cardiomyopathy caused by malformation of the myocardium during embryogenesis. This results in trabeculations within the ventricular wall that can affect the left and, less commonly, right ventricles. Presentation ranges from clinically asymptomatic to life-threatening arrhythmias. It is a rare and relatively unknown form of cardiomyopathy, though thought to be underdiagnosed. Prevalence is increasing due to improvements in imaging and awareness. Management is similar to that of other cardiomyopathies including angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, beta-blockers, diuretics, automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator placement and cardiac transplantation. We present a case of a …

Postoperative Myocardial Injury In A Patient With Left Ureteric Stone And Asymptomatic Covid-19 Disease, Nadeem Kassam, Omar Aziz, Ally Zain Ismail, Rodgers Swai, Samina Somji, Robert Mvungi, Mustaafa Bapumia, Ali Akbar Zehri, Salim Surani

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It was first identified on 8thDecember 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei, China, and has since spread globally to become an emergency of international concern. Patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 may be asymptomatic or present with symptoms ranging from mild clinical manifestations: such as fever, cough, and sore throat to moderate and severe form of the disease such as pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In some patients, SARS-CoV-2 can affect the heart and cause myocardial injury which is evidenced either by electrocardiographic (ECG) changes …

Kounis Syndrome, Charles Doerner, Mark Sawh, Tamer A. Amer, Konstantinos Marmagkiolis

West Florida Division GME Research Day 2020

Kounis syndrome, also known as allergic vasospastic angina, is a type of acute coronary syndrome caused by an allergic reaction or immune response to a substance.[1] It is essentially an “allergic angina” which is believed to be caused by mast cell activation and release of cytokines and histamine causing spasm of the artery leading to acute coronary syndrome and acute myocardial infarction. Stress cardiomyopathy (Takotsubo syndrome), which predominantly affects post-menopausal women, may also occur in anaphylaxis where transient ventricular dysfunction associated with regional ventricular wall abnormalities extending beyond the regions of coronary blood supply ensues.[2] The suspected prevalence of Kounis …

Axillary Artery Pseudoaneurysm Following Percutaneous Transaxillary Access For Impella Device Placement During Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, Anas A. Alharbi, Fahad S. Alqahtani, Peter Farjo, Jason A. Moreland

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Percutaneous transaxillary access is currently considered an acceptable alternative to transfemoral approach for large-bore access, especially in the setting of hostile iliofemoral arteries. Few published reports exist concerning complications of upper extremity access. We describe development of an axillary artery pseudoaneurysm and its management following transaxillary access. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.)

Impact Of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation On Survival In Cancer Patients: Do Not Resuscitate Before Or After Cpr?, Dana E Giza, Jordan Graham, Teodora Donisan, Dinu V Balanescu, John Crommet, Gregory Botz, Cristina Gutierrez, Mariberta Vidal, Rodrigo Mejia, Cezar Iliescu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

A Rare Case Of Coronary Artery Thrombosis In A Patient With Recently Diagnosed Giant Cell Arteritis: Is Anticardiolipin Antibody Involved?, Khine S. Shan, Qian Zhang, Sharmila Bisaria, Anubha Tewary

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is an immune-mediated systemic inflammation of large-sized arteries that predominantly affects elderly women. It may be considered as one of the risk factors for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Moreover, patients with GCA may have increased anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL). However, its relationship with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is not clear. We present a case of a unique presentation of GCA with a connection to both ACS and APS. A 76-year-old woman who initially presented to the hospital with a chief complaint of intermittent unilateral headache, blurry vision along with transient aphasia was found to have a biopsy confirmed …

Progressive Collateral Stenosis Leading To Symptomatic Chronic Total Occlusion, Farhan Shah, Andrew Maiolo

Capital Division GME Virtual Research Day 2020

Chronic total occlusion is defined as the complete obstruction of a coronary artery, with TIMI 0 or TIMI 1 flow, and an occlusion duration of greater than 3 months. We present a case of symptomatic chronic total occlusion in a functional 79 year old female with no past history of coronary artery disease, previously asymptomatic due to robust collateral circulation.

Dietary Fat And Sugar Differentially Affect Β-Adrenergic Stimulation Of Cardiac Erk And Akt Pathways In C57bl/6 Male Mice Subjected To High-Calorie Feeding, Sadia Ashraf, Gizem Yilmaz, Xu Chen, Romain Harmancey

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: High dietary fat and sugar promote cardiac hypertrophy independently from an increase in blood pressure. The respective contribution that each macronutrient exerts on cardiac growth signaling pathways remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to investigate the mechanisms by which high amounts of dietary fat and sugar affect cardiac growth regulatory pathways.

METHODS: Male C57BL/6 mice (9 wk old; n = 20/group) were fed a standard rodent diet (STD; kcal% protein-fat-carbohydrate, 29-17-54), a high-fat diet (HFD; 20-60-20), a high-fat and high-sugar Western diet (WD; 20-45-35), a high-sugar diet with mixed carbohydrates (HCD; 20-10-70), or a high-sucrose diet …

Effect Of Lifestyle Modifications On Blood Pressure And Bmi In Overweight Or Obese Adults With Primary Hypertension, Mariska Vandenbergh

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Hypertension (HTN) and obesity contribute to poor cardiovascular outcomes which can be managed with diet and exercise lifestyle changes. In addition, self-awareness (SA) of eating patterns can be a useful tool to promote adherence to lifestyle changes. The purpose of this project was to determine the effect of lifestyle education, the DASH diet, and tools to increase SA for adult clinic patients who were overweight with hypertension. The REAP and PIH tools were utilized to increase patients’ SA of their diagnosis and current dietary habits. A literature search over five databases was conducted and analyzed thoroughly. National guidelines strongly recommend …

How Rare Is Isolated Rheumatic Tricuspid Valve Disease?, Edme R. Mustafa, Octavian Istrătoaie, Roxana Mandia, Georgică C. Târtea, Cristina Florescu

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

The incidence of rheumatic fever (RF) has markedly decreased in Europe since the beginning of the 20th century due to improved living conditions, early antibiotic therapy in streptococcal pharyngitis, and changes in serotypes of circulating streptococci. Isolated outbreaks of RF are still found in various parts of the world and the disease has changed its presentation with milder joint symptoms and subclinical carditis that make the correct diagnosis more difficult. Patients can present many years later with severe valve disease and significant disability. This article presents a case of isolated rheumatic tricuspid valve disease that presented with signs and symptoms …

Pitfalls In Quantitative Myocardial Pet Perfusion I: Myocardial Partial Volume Correction, K Lance Gould, Linh Bui, Danai Kitkungvan, Tinsu Pan, Amanda E Roby, Tung T Nguyen, Nils P Johnson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: PET quantitative myocardial perfusion requires correction for partial volume loss due to one-dimensional LV wall thickness smaller than scanner resolution.

METHODS: We aimed to assess accuracy of risk stratification for death, MI, or revascularization after PET using partial volume corrections derived from two-dimensional ACR and three-dimensional NEMA phantoms for 3987 diagnostic rest-stress perfusion PETs and 187 MACE events. NEMA, ACR, and Tree phantoms were imaged with Rb-82 or F-18 for size-dependent partial volume loss. Perfusion and Coronary Flow Capacity were recalculated using different ACR- and NEMA-derived partial volume corrections compared by Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistics to standard perfusion metrics with established …

Serum Amyloid A Is Not Incorporated Into Hdl During Hdl Biogenesis, Ailing Ji, Xuebing Wang, Victoria P. Noffsinger, Drew Jennings, Maria C. De Beer, Frederick C. De Beer, Lisa R. Tannock, Nancy R. Webb

Saha Cardiovascular Research Center Faculty Publications

Liver-derived serum amyloid A (SAA) is present in plasma where it is mainly associated with HDL and from which it is cleared more rapidly than are the other major HDL-associated apolipoproteins. Although evidence suggests that lipid-free and HDL-associated forms of SAA have different activities, the pathways by which SAA associates and disassociates with HDL are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated SAA lipidation by hepatocytes and how this lipidation relates to the formation of nascent HDL particles. We also examined hepatocyte-mediated clearance of lipid-free and HDL-associated SAA. We prepared hepatocytes from mice injected with lipopolysaccharide or an SAA-expressing adenoviral …

Phlegmasia Cerulea Dolens In May Thurner Syndrome: A Threat To Life & Limb, Matt Mcmaster, Rage Geringer Md, Gregory Hicks Md, Oliwier Dziadkowiec

Internal Medicine

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Guideline Recommended Anti-Coagulation Rates For Atrial Fibrillation In An Outpatient Resident Clinic, Kanav Gupta Md, Emily Langnas Do, Zahra Khaled, Travis Tagami Do, Alexandra Halalau Md

Internal Medicine

No abstract provided.

A Five Chambered Heart, George Hanna, Javad Savoj, Syed Iftikhar, Scott Kubomoto, Patrick Hu

Internal Medicine

No abstract provided.

Catch 22 : To Anticoagulate Or Not To Anticoagulate, Muhammad Madkour, Patrick Hu

Internal Medicine

No abstract provided.

Sex Differences In 10-Year Ischemic Cardiovascular Disease Risk Prediction In Chinese Patients With Prediabetes And Type 2 Diabetes., Lihong Yang, Anne Fish, Yuanyuan Zhu, Xiaodan Yuan, Jianing Li, Xiaoyun Wang, Li Yuan, Zhumin Jia, Chao Liu, Yunchen Xu, Qingqing Lou

Nursing Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Role Of Echocardiography In Diagnostic Evaluation Of Patients Admitted To Observation Unit., Muhammad Arslan Cheema, Hafez Mohammad Ammar Abdullah, Waqas Ullah, Yasar Sattar, Shujaul Haq, Khadija Cheema, Asrar Ahmad, Zain Ali, Asoka Balaratna

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

BACKGROUND: Syncope is a transient loss of consciousness due to transient decrease in cerebral perfusion. Syncope accounts for a 3-6% of all emergency department visits. Etiology of syncope can be neural, cardiogenic, or vascular. Previous studies have evaluated the types and management of syncope. Echocardiography is a commonly used test in the evaluation of causes of syncope. Whether the benefit compared to financial burden of this diagnostic study is in all subsets of syncope cases remains unclear.

AIM: To evaluate the impact of echocardiography in the diagnostic evaluation of syncope and to evaluate the subset of patients that would benefit …

Concomitant Presentation With Cardioembolic Ischemic Stroke And Non St Elevation Myocardial Infarction In A Patient With New Onset Atrial Fibrillation, Amogh M. Joshi Do, Emilee E. Kurtz Do, Kourtney Erickson Do, Margaret R. Kluck Do, Benjamin Sanchez Md

Department of Medicine

Introduction: Although Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is a common cause of ischemic stroke, it rarely causes acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Cardioembolic events from AF cause considerable morbidity and mortality. Concomitant ischemic stroke and ACS remains an exceedingly rare event. We describe the case of a patient presenting with cardioembolic ischemic stroke and acute coronary syndrome.

Case Presentation: An 83 year old male with a prior history of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, permanent pacemaker for complete heart block, and chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis presented with acute left sided facial and extremity weakness, gait ataxia and profound dysarthria. Physical examination …

An Unusual Case Of Broken Heart, Ammar Hasan, Enrique Rincon

Cardiology

No abstract provided.

The Palpitations That Thumped Us All:, Carolyn Falk Tran Do, Gurmanpal Sandhu Md, Daniel Robitshek Md, Tejas Raiyani Md

Internal Medicine

No abstract provided.

A Coronary Masquerade: Spontaneous Coronary Dissection Presenting As Acute Coronary Syndrome, Kara Stout Do, Stephanie Cochran Do, Abdullah Rathur Do, Joe Carragher Do, Iftekhar Baig Do, Merrill Krolick Do

Cardiology

No abstract provided.

Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4 Group A Member 2 Inhibits Activation Of Erk Signaling And Cell Growth In Response To Β-Adrenergic Stimulation In Adult Rat Cardiomyocytes, Sadia Ashraf, Yassmin K Hegazy, Romain Harmancey

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Sustained elevation of sympathetic activity is an important contributor to pathological cardiac hypertrophy, ventricular arrhythmias, and left ventricular contractile dysfunction in chronic heart failure. The orphan nuclear receptor NR4A2 is an immediate early-response gene activated in the heart under β-adrenergic stimulation. The goal of this study was to identify the transcriptional remodeling events induced by increased NR4A2 expression in cardiomyocytes and their impact on the physiological response of those cells to sustained β-adrenergic stimulation. Treatment of adult rat ventricular myocytes with isoproterenol induced a rapid (<4 >h) increase in NR4A2 levels that was accompanied by a transient (<24 >h) increase …

Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4 Group A Member 2 Inhibits Activation Of Erk Signaling And Cell Growth In Response To Β-Adrenergic Stimulation In Adult Rat Cardiomyocytes, Sadia Ashraf, Yassmin K Hegazy, Romain Harmancey

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Sustained elevation of sympathetic activity is an important contributor to pathological cardiac hypertrophy, ventricular arrhythmias, and left ventricular contractile dysfunction in chronic heart failure. The orphan nuclear receptor NR4A2 is an immediate early-response gene activated in the heart under β-adrenergic stimulation. The goal of this study was to identify the transcriptional remodeling events induced by increased NR4A2 expression in cardiomyocytes and their impact on the physiological response of those cells to sustained β-adrenergic stimulation. Treatment of adult rat ventricular myocytes with isoproterenol induced a rapid (<4 >h) increase in NR4A2 levels that was accompanied by a transient (<24 >h) increase …

Frequency Of Peri-Operative Hypertension In A Tertiary Care Hospital In Karachi, Pakistan, Momena Sohail, Aysha Almas, Ayesha Majeed Memon, Bushra Usmani, Aamir Hameed, G. Afshan

Section of Internal Medicine

This study aims to determine the frequency of perioperative hypertension and its types (pre, intra and post-operative) hypertension in patients admitted for surgical procedures. This was a cross-sectional study conducted between the years 2012-2013 at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi. Patients admitted for any surgical procedure during this time were included. Perioperative hypertension has been defined as systolic blood pressure of >140 mm Hg or a diastolic blood pressure of >90 mm Hg or whose blood pressure increased by 20% during surgery. A total of 428 surgical procedures were reviewed for the study. Overall perioperative hypertension was present in …

Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction: A Review Of The Acc/Aha Guidelines And Evidence-Based Management Strategy, Vikas Sunder, Md

The Medicine Forum

Introduction

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a clinical syndrome in which a patient has signs and symptoms of heart failure including dyspnea, fatigue, pulmonary rales, peripheral edema and an ejection fraction greater than 50%.1-4 Approximately half of patients with heart failure have a preserved ejection fraction.2-5 HFpEF is considered a distinct clinical entity from other causes of heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction such as valvular heart disease, pericardial disease, and infiltrative cardiomyopathy. HFpEF carries a poor prognosis, with an annual mortality of 29% in patients discharged after an acute decompensated heart failure admission.5 5-year survival …

Can Our Hearts Take The New Guidelines?, Eitan Frankel, Md

The Medicine Forum

No abstract provided.

Aminophylline Shortage And Current Recommendations For Reversal Of Vasodilator Stress: An Asnc Information Statement Endorsed By Scmr, Aiden Abidov, Vasken Dilsizian, Rami Doukky, W Lane Duvall, Christopher Dyke, Michael D Elliott, Fadi G Hage, Milena J Henzlova, Nils P Johnson, Ronald G Schwartz, Gregory S Thomas, Andrew J Einstein

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Pharmacologic reversal of serious or intolerable side effects (SISEs) from vasodilator stress is an important safety and comfort measure for patients experiencing such effects. While typically performed using intravenous aminophylline, recurrent shortages of this agent have led to a greater need to limit its use and consider alternative agents. This information statement provides background and recommendations addressing indications for vasodilator reversal, timing of a reversal agent, incidence of observed SISE with vasodilator stress, clinical and logistical considerations for aminophylline-based reversal, and alternative non-aminophylline based reversal protocols.