Immunizing hearts: exploring the vaccination frontier in heart failure management.

Heart failure (HF) is a widespread clinical condition that affects numerous individuals globally and is a leading cause of hospitalization, particularly in the elderly population. Despite efforts to manage HF using various pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions, mortality and hospitalization rates remain alarmingly high. Preventive vaccination has emerged as a key measure endorsed by cardiology societies for reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with HF. This study undertakes an extensive review of existing literature to explore the role of vaccination in managing HF, focusing specifically on the immunological pathways involved and potential benefits offered by immunization in this context. This article highlights the role of various vaccines, including influenza, pneumococcal, and COVID-19 vaccines, in reducing HF-related hospitalization, mortality, and overall disease burden. Additionally, this article will delve into specific vaccines that have shown promise in HF management, such as influenza, pneumococcal, and COVID-19 vaccines, along with the rationale for their use, clinical trials, meta-analyses, and real-world data supporting their effectiveness in patients with HF. This article also considers potential challenges and obstacles to widespread vaccination in individuals with HF, which include vaccine hesitancy, accessibility, and adverse events related to vaccines.

Correction: Closing the Gap: Investigation of Various Approaches in the Management of Patent Ductus Arteriosus.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.7759/cureus.45009.].

Closing the Gap: Investigation of Various Approaches in the Management of Patent Ductus Arteriosus.

In preterm newborns with extremely low birth weights, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), which is defined as a remnant connection between the aorta and pulmonary artery after 72 hours of birth, is frequently linked to substantial morbidity and mortality. If left untreated, a hemodynamically significant PDA (hsPDA) increases the risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotizing enterocolitis, and intraventricular hemorrhage among other morbidities, and can even lead to death. While instances of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) resolving on their own are frequent, the primary approach for managing PDA closure in premature infants involves pharmacological interventions, commonly utilizing indomethacin, ibuprofen, or paracetamol. However, with these pharmacological treatment options, there is an increased risk of renal toxicity, gastrointestinal bleeding, and reopening of PDA among other complications. If pharmacological interventions are not successful or contraindicated, PDA can be closed via transcatheter closure or surgical ligation. As with any medically invasive procedure, it is not without risks and can lead to long-term complications. This review explores the different management options and the benefits and outcomes of conservative management vs. active management in order to get one step closer to standardizing the treatment for PDA. With so much controversy surrounding the best management option, there is a lack of evidence to support one treatment method superior to the other in reducing overall mortality, and this needs to be explored further.