ABSTRACT
In the COVID-19 pandemic, to minimize aerosol-generating procedures, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) was utilized at our institution as an alternative to transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for diagnosing infective endocarditis (IE). This retrospective study evaluated the clinical utility of CMR for detecting IE among 14 patients growing typical microorganisms on blood cultures or meeting modified Duke Criteria. Seven cases were treated for IE. In 2 cases, CMR results were notable for possible leaflet vegetations and were clinically meaningful in guiding antibiotic therapy, obtaining further imaging, and/or pursuing surgical intervention. In 2 cases, vegetations were missed on CMR but detected on TEE. In 3 cases, CMR was non-diagnostic, but patients were treated empirically. There was no difference in antibiotic duration or outcomes over 1 year. CMR demonstrated mixed results in diagnosing valvular vegetations and guiding clinical decision-making. Further prospective controlled trials of CMR Vs TEE are warranted. © 2022 Elsevier Inc.
ABSTRACT
The article discusses the retrospective cohort study performed at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota from February to June 2022, the first peer-reviewed publication demonstrating the efficacy of the monoclonal antibody bebtelovimab in the prevention of severe COVID-19 infection compared with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir. It mentions that the Food and Drug Administration has issued emergency use authorizations for six new monoclonal antibodies in the fight against SARS-CoV-2.