Perioperative Levels of Troponin and BNP and the Outcome after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

BACKGROUND: The independent predictive values of troponin I (cTnI) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) have been reported in several studies. However, adjustment only has been limited to preoperative risk factors. AIM: This study was conducted to assess the independent values of postoperative cTnI and BNP to predict the outcome after CABG with adjustment for preoperative risk estimates and postoperative complications and to report risk stratification gains, when considering the European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (EuroSCORE) combined with postoperative biomarkers. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included 282 consecutive patients undergoing CABG between January 2018 and December 2021. We evaluated the preoperative and postoperative cTnI and BNP, EuroSCORE, and postoperative complications. The composite endpoint was death or cardiac-related adverse events. RESULTS: The AUROC for postoperative cTnI was significantly higher than that of BNP (0.777 vs. 0.625, p = 0.041). The optimal cut-off values to predict the composite outcome were >4830 (pg/mL) and >6.95 (ng/mL) for BNP and cTnI, respectively. Adjustment for relevant and significant perioperative factors showed that postoperative BNP and cTnI had a high discriminatory power (C-index = 0.773 and 0.895, respectively) for predicting major adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative BNP and cTnI are independent predictors of death or major adverse events, following CABG, and can add to the predictive power of EuroSCORE II.

Prevalence of Plantar Heel Pain Among School Teachers in Medina Region, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Plantar heel pain (PHP) can be a common medical complaint among people with both sedentary and active lifestyles due to varied causes. It can affect the quality of life and result in significant disability. Despite many studies on PHP, few have focused on a specific population, such as school teachers. School teachers represent a significant proportion of the population of Medina, and addressing such a complaint and its possible relevant factors, which are most likely to be common among them due to their comparable job duties, will aid us in determining the relationships between personal characteristics, work-related factors, and PHP, as well as in formulating management plans. This study aims to identify the prevalence of PHP and its determinants among school teachers in the Medina region of Saudi Arabia. Methodology This cross-sectional study aims to identify the prevalence of PHP in school teachers. It was conducted in the Medina region of Saudi Arabia. A self-administered, online, validated questionnaire was created and used for data collection. Consent was taken from all participants before answering the questionnaire. Participation was voluntary, and all participants could withdraw from the study at any time. Data were kept confidential and only accessible by the primary investigator, co-investigators, and the statistician; hence, secondary and tertiary blinding was not done. Results Among those who reported PHP, the highest prevalence was among those who did not exercise regularly (94.7%), followed by middle-aged women (64.3%) and those with a high body mass index (44.5%), previous foot problems (43.2%), and chronic medical diseases (41.9%). PHP was less prevalent in male teachers, those with normal body mass index, and those who spent less time standing, had no previous foot problems, and exercised regularly. Most (88.1%) participants with PHP had other musculoskeletal pain, particularly in the lower back (62.6%) and knee (40.1%). Conclusions Teachers can be apprised about the importance of consuming a well-balanced diet and exercising regularly to maintain a healthy weight. We advocate educational programs as they can assist people to understand the need to obtain medical help when they are experiencing pain.