Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk for Noncardiac and Nonsurgical Activities.

Cardiovascular risk stratification is a frequent evaluation performed by health professionals. Not uncommonly, requests for risk stratification involve activities or procedures that fall outside of the scope of current evidence-based guidelines. Estimating risk and providing guidance for these requests can be challenging due to limited available evidence. This review focuses on some of these unique requests, each of which are real examples encountered in our practice. We offer guidance by synthesizing the available medical literature and formulating recommendations on topics such as the initiation of testosterone and erectile dysfunction therapy, SCUBA and skydiving, polygraphy, and electroconvulsive therapy.

Cardiac Rehabilitation Referral After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Cardiac rehabilitation following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is associated with improved outcomes; however, it remains relatively underutilized in this patient population. As part of a quality improvement initiative, we sought to increase the rate of cardiac rehabilitation referral after TAVR at our institution. We designed and implemented a multidisciplinary program that included education of cardiothoracic surgery providers discharging post-TAVR patients on the benefits of cardiac rehabilitation with participation of cardiac rehabilitation personnel during discharge rounds with the surgical team. The study period was defined as 12 months prior to and 6 months following the implementation of the education program. Overall referral rates increased from 5% to 56% ( P < 0.0001), and referrals placed before hospital discharge increased from 0.8% to 53% ( P < 0.0001) over the study period. In conclusion, a combination of education regarding the benefits of cardiac rehabilitation and cardiac rehabilitation personnel participation in discharge rounds significantly increased referral to cardiac rehabilitation after TAVR.

The effect of concussion on subsequent musculoskeletal injury risk in high school athletes.

BACKGROUND: Studies have demonstrated an increased risk of musculoskeletal (MSK) injury after concussion in collegiate and professional athletes, but there has been relatively little study of this relationship in younger athletes. OBJECTIVE: To determine the odds of experiencing a subsequent MSK injury after concussion in high school athletes. It was hypothesized that concussion would increase the risk of MSK injury within 365 days of the concussion event. DESIGN: Retrospective observational study. SETTING: Twelve high school sports programs. PARTICIPANTS: Athletes (n = 14,461) from athletic training room records queried between 2010 and 2017. INDEPENDENT VARIABLES: History of concussion and history of concussion and MSK injury in the year preceding MSK injury. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: General estimating equation analyses were conducted to examine the odds of MSK injury related to (1) concussion within the preceding 365 days of injury; and (2) concussion and MSK injury within the preceding 365 days of concussion. RESULTS: Respectively, 8% and 8.3% of athletes were identified with a concussion and MSK injury. After controlling for gender and sport, athletes with a concussion and prior MSK injury (odds ratio = 2.19, 95% confidence interval: 1.02-4.67) and athletes with a concussion alone (odds ratio = 1.67, 95% confidence interval: 1.15-2.44) both had higher odds of experiencing a subsequent MSK injury compared to athletes without prior concussion. CONCLUSIONS: High school athletes who sustain a concussion have elevated odds of MSK injury at rates comparable to those for collegiate athletes. These findings support the use of neuromuscular-based rehabilitation and injury prevention protocols in the post-concussion period. These findings may also suggest exploring methods to modify concussion return-to-play criteria with the goal to reduce the risk of future MSK injury.

Periprosthetic Metastatic Lung Carcinoma About a Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Case Report.

CASE: A 64-year-old man presented with unrelenting left knee pain and an unremarkable radiograph 4 months after revision total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Pain persisted, despite conservative management, and repeat imaging demonstrated significant lysis of the left medial tibial condyle. A biopsy demonstrated metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. Management with excision and curettage of the tibial lesion was followed by palliative radiotherapy and chemotherapy until the patient died 7 months later. CONCLUSION: This case highlights metastasis as an etiology for persistent TKA pain in a patient with significant risk factors.