Clinical Medicine Insights. Cardiology最新文献

This is a focused review looking at the pharmacological support in cardiogenic shock. There are a plethora of data evaluating vasopressors and inotropes in septic shock, but the data are limited for cardiogenic shock. This review article describes in detail the pathophysiology of cardiogenic shock, the mechanism of action of different vasopressors and inotropes emphasizing their indications and potential side effects. This review article incorporates the currently used specific risk-prediction models in cardiogenic shock as well as integrates data from many trials on the use of vasopressors and inotropes. Lastly, this review seeks to discuss the future direction for vasoactive medications in cardiogenic shock.

Introduction: The mechanical complications of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) still kill despite the evolution of medicine. Early diagnosis and adequate management are necessary to improve the prognosis, and this requires first, a good clinical examination that should raise the suspicion of a mechanical complication, then the echocardiography is performed to confirm the diagnosis.

Case presentation: We present a case of a 64-year-old patient admitted to the emergency room for jaundice with delayed ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Physical examination revealed signs of right heart failure, which led us to associate jaundice with signs of acute liver failure secondary to right heart failure. Echocardiography confirmed the diagnosis of a ventricular septal rupture (VSR) with left-right shunt, and a significant dilation of the right ventricle. The patient underwent surgical closure of the VSR with fatal evolution.

Discussion: VSR is a rare life-threatening mechanical complication of AMI. The clinical signs depend on the left-right shunt and the onset of heart failure, which are 2 major determinants of the therapeutic strategy and the timing of the surgery. Despite surgical closure of the VSR, the mortality remains high, but the prognosis is better in patients treated with surgery than in patients who are treated medically only.

Conclusion: The clinical presentation of VSR may differ from a patient to another. Good clinical sense and echocardiography are essential to set early diagnosis, and thus decide on the adequate management at the right time.

Takotsubo Syndrome (TTS) is a condition of transient left ventricular dysfunction that is typically triggered by emotional or physical stress. Since first described in Japan in 1990, it has increasingly been recognised in clinical practice, accounting for up to 2% of Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) presentations. In fact, the clinical presentation can be indistinguishable from a myocardial infarction. Although current evidence suggests a catecholamine induced myocardial stunning, the pathophysiological mechanisms remain unknown. Interestingly, it is more common in woman, particularly those who are post-menopausal. This review aims to summarise the current research and provide an overview of the diagnostic strategies and treatment options.

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have revolutionized the management of patients with advanced heart failure refractory to medical therapy. Current indications of LVADs include Bridge to Transplantation (BTT), Destination Therapy (DT) for long-term use, Bridge to the Decision (BTD) used as a temporary measure, and lastly Bridge to Recovery (BTR). Here, we briefly review the clinical evidence and the molecular mechanisms behind myocardial recovery following LVAD placement. We also share institutional protocols used at 2 major medical centers in the USA.

The clinical features of severe hypothyroidism vary in presentation, ranging from subclinical symptoms to multiorgan failure referred to as myxedema coma. The cornerstone treatments of myxedema coma include aggressive thyroid hormone replacement combined with excellent supportive care in the intensive care unit. We report a rare case of a 56-year-old female with history of hypothyroidism treated with levothyroxine, who developed myxedema coma post-pericardial window surgery for a large pericardial effusion. She was supported with substantial doses of vasopressors and inotropes for shock. In addition, she was initiated on lung-protection ventilation for acute respiratory distress syndrome. After the diagnosis of myxedema coma was made, she was started on intravenous levothyroxine and hydrocortisone with great sustained clinical response. This case illustrated myxedema coma as an unusual cause of shock in post-operative patients with past medical history of hypothyroidism.

Background: There has been a steady and consistent rise in the use of left ventricular assist devices in the management of patients with advanced heart failure. Hypothyroidism also remains one of the most common endocrine conditions with a significant impact on the development and overall outcomes of heart failure. The authors analyzed the National Inpatient Sample to evaluate the effect of hypothyroidism on the in-hospital outcomes of patients with end-stage heart failure following the placement of left ventricular assist device.

Methods: The national inpatient sample was queried to identify all adult patients who had LVAD placement from 2004 to 2014. They were subsequently divided into those with hypothyroidism and those without hypothyroidism. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Other outcomes were acute kidney injury, length, and cost of hospitalization. Logistic regression models were created to determine the outcomes of interest.

Results: Of 2643 patients in the study, 5.4% had hypothyroidism, and 94.6% did not. The hypothyroid patients were significantly older compared to the non-hypothyroid patients (mean age 58.6 years vs 49.95 years, P-value <.0001). Both groups had similar gender composition. In-hospital mortality was similar across both groups. However, there was a higher incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in the hypothyroid group (adjusted odds ratio [aOR 1.83, P-value <.001]). Hypothyroid patients had longer hospital stays (adjusted mean difference [aMD] 5.19, P-value .0001). Hospital charges were also higher in the hypothyroid group.

Conclusion: This study found that LVAD is associated with longer hospital stay in hypothyroid patients with heart failure.

A 39-year-old male was admitted in the emergency room with chest pain. He had been given the second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine 3 days before. The patient denied taking any other medication beyond the usual. He didn't feel sick in the previous days/weeks. Laboratory studies revealed elevated serum levels of troponin and C-reactive protein. An autoantibody screen and a serologic panel to detect common viruses were negative. A cardiac MRI showed myocardial edema/inflammation and confirmed the diagnosis of perimyocarditis which was considered to be a consequence of COVID-19 vaccination. Physicians should be aware of the possibility of cardiovascular complications after COVID-19 vaccination.

Background: Though controversial, the short-duration in-patient use of inotropes in cardiogenic shock (CS) remain an ACC/AHA Class IIa indication, and are frequently used in the initial treatment of CS. We evaluated in-patient mortality and effect on mortality risk of commonly used vasoactive inotropic medications for the medical management of SCAI stage B and C cardiogenic shock patients in a tertiary care cardiac care unit: dobutamine, dopamine, milrinone, and norepinephrine.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 342 patients who received dobutamine, milrinone, dopamine, norepinephrine or a combination of these medications for SCAI stage B and C cardiogenic shock. Cox proportional hazards were used to form longitudinal mortality predictions.

Results: Overall in-patient mortality was 18%. Each 1 µg/kg/minute increase in dobutamine independently corresponded to a 15% increase in risk of mortality. High dose dobutamine >3 µg/kg/minute is associated with 3-fold increased risk compared to ⩽3 µg/kg/minute (P < .001). Use of milrinone, norepinephrine, and dopamine were not independently associated with mortality.

Conclusion: We demonstrate that the overall in-hospital mortality of SCAI stage B and C cardiogenic shock patients medically managed on inotropes was not in excess of prior studies. Dobutamine was independently associated with mortality, while other vasoactive inotropic medications were not. Inotropes remain a feasible method of managing SCAI stage B and C cardiogenic shock.

Visceral adipose tissue is an independent risk factor for the development of atherosclerotic coronary disease, arterial hypertension, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Right heart morphology often involves the presence of adipose tissue, which can be quantified by non-invasive imaging methods. The last decade brought a wealth of new insights into the function and morphology of adipose tissue, with great emphasis on its role in the pathogenesis of heart disease. Cardiac adipose tissue is involved in thermogenesis, mechanical protection of the heart and energy storage. However, it can also be an endocrine organ that synthesises numerous pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, the effect of which is accomplished by paracrine and vasocrine mechanisms. Visceral adipose tissue has several compartments that differ in their embryological origin and vascularisation. Deficiency of cardiac adipose tissue, often due to chronic pathological conditions such as oncological diseases or chronic infectious diseases, predicts increased mortality and morbidity. To date, knowledge about the influence of visceral adipose tissue on cardiac morphology is limited, especially the effect on the morphology of the right heart in a state of excess or deficient visceral adipose tissue.