The Predictive Value of Sepsis Scores for In-Hospital Mortality in Patients with Left-Sided Infective Endocarditis.

BACKGROUND: As infective endocarditis has particular characteristics compared to other infectious diseases, it is not clear if sepsis scores are reported with good accuracy in these patients. The aim of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of the qSOFA and SOFA scores to predict mortality in patients with infective endocarditis. METHODS: Between January 2010 and June 2019, 867 patients with suspected left-sided endocarditis were evaluated; 517 were included with left-sided infective endocarditis defined as "possible" or "definite" endocarditis, according to the Modified Duke Criteria. ROC curves were constructed to assess the accuracy of qSOFA and SOFA sepsis scores for the prediction of in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: The median age was 57 years, 65% were male, 435 (84%) had pre-existing heart valve disease, and the overall mortality was 28%. The most frequent etiologies were Streptococcus spp. (36%), Enterococcus spp. (10%), and Staphylococcus aureus (9%). The sepsis scores from the ROC curves used to predict in-hospital mortality were qSOFA 0.601 (CI95% 0.522-0.681) and SOFA score 0.679 (CI95% 0.602-0.756). A sub-group analysis in patients with and without pre-existing valve disease for SOFA ≥ 2 showed ROC curves of 0.627 (CI95% 0.563-0.690) and 0.775 (CI95% 0.594-0.956), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: qSOFA and SOFA scores were associated with increased in-hospital mortality in patients with infective endocarditis. However, as accuracy was relatively lower compared to other sites of bacterial infections, we believe that this score may have lower accuracy when predicting the prognosis of patients with IE, because, in this disease, the patient's death may be more frequently linked to valvular and cardiac dysfunction, as well as embolic events, and less frequently directly associated with sepsis.

Cocaine and Volatile Nitrite-Induced Methemoglobinemia; a Case Report and Treatment Approach Review.

Cyanosis is typically a sign of a potentially life-threatening condition in the emergency department and requires immediate workup and treatment. This case report highlights the diagnostic reasoning and clinical approach to cocaine- and volatile nitrite-induced methemoglobinemia (MHG). MHG is a rare, life-threatening cause of cyanosis. The diagnosis must be suspected in the emergency department in the presence of hypoxia and cyanosis disproportionate to cardiopulmonary repercussions and refractory to oxygen supplementation. Acquired causes are more prevalent than genetics, and recreational drugs should be highly suspected. Despite the rarity of this situation, cyanosis precipitants and the specificities of each hemoglobinopathy are reviewed in this article.

The Role of 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in the Diagnosis of Left-sided Endocarditis: Native vs Prosthetic Valves Endocarditis.

BACKGROUND: 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG-PET/CT) has emerged as a useful diagnostic tool for suspected infective endocarditis (IE) in patients with prosthetic valves or implantable devices. However, there is limited evidence regarding use of 18F-FDG-PET/CT for the diagnosis of native valve endocarditis (NVE). METHODS: Between 2014 and 2017, 303 episodes of left-sided suspected IE (188 prosthetic valves/ascending aortic prosthesis and 115 native valves) were studied. 18F-FDG-PET/CT accuracy was determined in the subgroups of patients with NVE and prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE)/ascending aortic prosthesis infection (AAPI). Associations between inflammatory infiltrate patterns and 18F-FDG-PET/CT uptake were investigated in an exploratory ad hoc histological analysis. RESULTS: Among 188 patients with PVE/AAPI, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of 18F-FDG-PET/CT focal uptake were 93%, 90%, 89%, and 94%, respectively, while among 115 patients with NVE, the corresponding values were 22%, 100%, 100%, and 66%. The inclusion of abnormal 18F-FDG cardiac uptake as a major criterion at admission enabled a recategorization of 76% (47/62) of PVE/AAPI cases initially classified as "possible" to "definite" IE. In the histopathological analysis, a predominance of polymorphonuclear cell inflammatory infiltrate and a reduced extent of fibrosis were observed in the PVE group only. CONCLUSIONS: Use of 18F-FDG-PET/CT at the initial presentation of patients with suspected PVE increases the diagnostic capability of the modified Duke criteria. In patients who present with suspected NVE, the use of 18F-FDG-PET/CT is less accurate and could only be considered a complementary diagnostic tool for a specific population of patients with NVE.

Artéria coronária única com origem no seio de Valsalva direito / Single coronary artery originating from the right sinus of Valsalva

A origem anômala de artéria coronária é uma alteração congênita rara, com incidência estimada em 0,3 a 1,3% dos pacientes encaminhados para angiografia coronariana. Atualmente, sua discussão ainda divide opiniões, principalmente quanto à abordagem terapêutica. Relatamos o caso de uma paciente de 75 anos submetida a um cateterismo cardíaco, cujo resultado mostrou tronco de coronária com origem anômala junto à coronária direita em seio coronariano direito e com trajeto retroaórtico...

Anomalous origin of coronary arteries is a rare congenital disorder, with an estimated incidence of 0.3 to 1.3% of patients referred for coronary angiography. Currently, its discussion still divides opinions, particularly regarding the therapeutic approach. We report the case of a 75 year-old woman who underwent cardiac catheterization, which showed the left main coronary artery with an anomalous origin next to the right coronary artery in the right coronary sinus and with a retroaortic course...