Impact of first contact on symptom onset-to-door time in patients presenting for primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

OBJECTIVES: To determine effect of first medical contact type on symptom onset-to-door time (SODT). BACKGROUND: Shorter total ischemic time is associated with improved outcomes in ST-elevation myocardial infarction. METHODS: From 2005 to 2009, we reviewed records of all consecutive patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-elevation myocardial infarction at our tertiary care teaching hospital (median follow-up 3.85 years). We compared SODT in patients whose first medical contact was a private physician (in person or via telephone) vs patients who presented to the emergency department (ED) directly (in person or via Emergency Medical Services). RESULTS: Of 366 patients, 84 (23%) contacted a physician (group A) while 282 (77.6%) did not (group B). Group A had higher median SODT (239.5 vs 130 minutes, P = .0043) and significantly higher mortality (log rank P = .0392, Cox Proportional Hazard Model risk factors: physician contact first [P < .013], age [P < .0001] and peripheral vascular disease [P < .035]). Two factors associated with prolonged SODT: (1) contacting a physician first P = .002 and (2) personal mode of transportation, P = .002. Patients presenting during "on-hours" (weekdays) were more likely to first contact a physician compared with those presenting during "off-hours" (weeknights and weekends) (66.67% in group A vs 45.04% in group B, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients whose first medical contact was a physician had greater pre-hospital delays and worse survival compared to those who sought emergent medical care directly. This pattern occurred more often during "on-hours." Educational efforts aimed at both patient and physician office practices are warranted.

Patient awareness of stent type, risk of cardiac events, and symptoms of myocardial infarction among PCI patients: a missed educational opportunity?

BACKGROUND: Timely and successful treatment of myocardial infarction (MI) requires accurate recognition by the patient of the signs and symptoms. As patients who have undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remain at risk for cardiac events, it is important that they have a basic understanding of their cardiac status. METHODS: We surveyed 80 consecutive patients following elective PCI using a simple multiple-choice questionnaire. Type of stent (bare metal or drug-eluting), how they perceive the procedure would affect their cardiovascular health, their perceived risk of a future MI, and whether they recalled specific education on how to recognize symptoms of an MI were queried. RESULTS: 45% (n = 36) of patients were unaware of stent type. 10% stated PCI was performed to relieve symptoms of angina, 30% (n = 24) stated it would prevent MI, 56.3% (n = 45) stated that it would both prevent MI and reduce symptoms of angina, while 3.8% stated it would do neither. 86.3% (n = 69) stated they remained at risk for MI despite the procedure. However, 42.5% (n = 34) of patients did not perceive to have received specific education on the signs and symptoms of MI during their hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS: Patient understanding of stent type, expected cardiovascular outcomes, and recognition of MI post-PCI appears low in the real-world setting. A systematic approach to post-PCI education should be incorporated into routine care, in order to capitalize on the educational opportunity afforded by this high risk population.

Viridans streptococcal (Streptococcus intermedius) mitral valve subacute bacterial endocarditis (SBE) in a patient with mitral valve prolapse after a dental procedure: the importance of antibiotic prophylaxis.

BACKGROUND: Subacute bacterial endocarditis (SBE) is an infection of the heart involving damaged valves or endothelium. The most common organisms causing SBE are the viridans streptococci. Viridans streptococci differ in their propensity to cause SBE, which is related to the ability to adhere to damaged heart valves and endothelium, which is a function of extracellular matrix production. Streptococcus intermedius is a member of the S. anginosus group. S. intermedius is one of the many strains of viridans streptococci and a rare cause of SBE. SBE may result following a high-grade, sustained veridans streptococcal bacteremia in patients with predisposing cardiac lesions. Because viridans streptococci are relatively avirulent pathogens in normal hosts, they usually present as SBE. Some strains of viridans streptococci are inherently more virulent (eg, S. intermedius) and clinically resemble S. lugdunensis or S. aureus. METHODS: We report a case of S. intermedius SBE in a patient with mitral valve prolapse (MVP). Throughout the patient's life, she received antibiotic prophylaxis for dental procedures and never developed SBE. Because of changes in endocarditis prophylaxis guidelines in 2007, recommending no prophylaxis for dental procedures in patients with MVP, she did not receive prophylaxis for a dental procedure 3 months before admission. The change in prophylaxis recommendations was based on the relatively low incidence of endocarditis with certain cardiac lesions. The recommendations were also based on concern for antibiotic resistance from widespread antibiotic use for antibiotic prophylaxis. There has been no appreciable increase in penicillin resistance, and antimicrobial resistance is not an important consideration among the viridans streptococci. The incidence of SBE is not high after dental procedures in patients with MVP, but if SBE occurs, it may result in serious consequence for the patient. RESULTS: In this case, the patient developed S. intermedius, mitral valve SBE complicated by a cerebral vascular accident, and embolic occlusion of her leg. She was given optimal antibiotic treatment with ceftriaxone 2 g (intravenously) every 24 hours plus gentamicin 120 mg (intravenously) every 24 hours (synergy dose) but failed to respond to antimicrobial therapy. Although her S. intermedius bacteremia was rapidly cleared with antimicrobial therapy, sterilization of her vegetation was not accomplished, and during therapy, the size of her cardiac vegetation actually increased in size. Because of therapeutic failure despite optimal antibiotic therapy, the increasing size of her vegetation necessitated mitral valve replacement, which the patient underwent. Reasons for apparent/real antibiotic failure include inappropriate antimicrobial therapy, inadequately dosed antimicrobial therapy, antibiotic "tolerance," or increased pathogen virulence. Her strain of S. intermedius was sensitive to all antibiotics and not due to a "tolerant strain", i.e., her minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) were the same (<0.25 microg/mL). CONCLUSION: In this case, despite optimal antimicrobial therapy, and in the absence of resistance/tolerance, therapeutic failure was best explained on the basis of S. intermedius virulence. The take-home lesson for clinicians is that it is better to err on the side of antibiotic prophylaxis even in patients with low-risk cardiac lesions. Failure to administer antibiotic prophylaxis for dental procedures may result in SBE and have disastrous consequences for the patient, which, in this case, resulted in a cerebral vascular accident, embolic occlusion of the leg, and mitral valve replacement. In terms of virulence in patients with endocarditis, S. intermedius may resemble S. lugdenesis.

Choroid plexus hyperplasia and monosomy 1p36: report of new findings.

Monosomy 1p36 is a newly delineated multiple congenital anomalies/mental retardation syndrome characterized by mental retardation, growth delay, epilepsy, congenital heart defects, characteristic facial appearance, and precocious puberty. It is now considered to be one of the most common subtelomeric micro-deletion syndromes. This article reports new findings of choroid plexus hyperplasia and dextrocardia with situs solitus in a patient who had deletion of chromosome 1p26.33 with a brief review of the literature.