The American journal of the medical sciences
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The purpose of the study was to assess the epidemiology, risk factors and outcomes of native vertebral osteomyelitis (NVO) in patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB). ⋯ Atherosclerotic vascular disease was prominent in our contemporary cohort with NVO in the setting of SAB. Diabetes mellitus, tobacco consumption, older age and male sex likely contributed to this profile. Because IDU was associated with NVO, an increased number of cases should be anticipated among patients with IDU given the ongoing opioid epidemic in the United States.
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The presence of the left ventricle (LV) apical thrombus is one of the most critical complications of anterior myocardial infarction (MI). Due to the high risk of systemic embolization, the determination of LV apical thrombus (LVAT) is essential. We aimed to compare the two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE), contrast-2DE and real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT-3DE) in the diagnosis of LVAT and determine which imaging modality is superior. ⋯ We found that RT-3DE was more sensitive and more specific than 2DE and contrast-2DE in the diagnosis of LVAT. The diagnostic accuracy of RT-3DE was higher than 2DE and contrast-2DE for LVAT.
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Admission hyperglycemia is common in subjects with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Reperfusion therapy with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) represents the leading therapeutic choice, in particular in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Despite this, mortality, re-hospitalizations and complications remain a relevant problem. Adenosine, a purine nucleoside, may reduce no-reflow. Therefore, whe studied the effects of intravenous infusion of adenosine in addition to primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) in hyperglycemic patients with STEMI. ⋯ The effects of intravenous infusion of adenosine and PPCI on clinical outcomes are significant but we need future larger studies with larger follow-up and statistical analysis to confirm our results.
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Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most common congenital heart defect and is associated with a number of cardiac pathologies including coarctation of the aorta (CoA), aortic dilation, aortic stenosis, and premature coronary artery disease (CAD). Furthermore, BAV has been associated with left dominant coronary artery anatomy but there is still much debate regarding this association. To date, no study has investigated the association between coronary artery dominance and cardiac pathologies in patients with BAV. ⋯ Our study found a predominance of right dominant coronary artery circulation in patients with BAV, similar to the general population. Interestingly, left dominance was significantly associated with CoA in patients with BAV. This observation highlights the importance of further studies regarding how coronary artery dominance can be associated with other cardiovascular pathologies in patients with BAV.
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Editorial Historical Article
Waldemar Mordecai Wolf Haffkine, DSc: Vaccinologist.