Stroke After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: Incidence, Definitions, Etiologies and Management Options.

Neurologic complications after transcatheter aortic valve replacement are devastating. The etiologies of stroke in this setting are best addressed in an integrated fashion during each phase of the perioperative pathway. The conduct of this triphasic approach will continue to be refined to reduce the stroke risks even further, given the major focus on aspects such as embolic protection devices and valve thrombosis. This neurologic focus in transcatheter aortic valve replacement has transformed the investigational approach to neurologic events in cardiovascular clinical trials, resulting in novel guidelines for the diagnosis and assessment of neurologic injury after cardiovascular interventions.

Non-Pharmacologic Approach to Prevent Embolization in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation in Whom Anticoagulation is Contraindicated.

Ischemic stroke is the most common complication of atrial fibrillation (AF). Anticoagulation therapy reduces the risk of systemic embolization in almost all patients with AF irrespective of the type of AF (paroxysmal, persistent or permanent). But, all patients are not suitable candidates for systemic anticoagulation mainly due to the risk of bleeding. Left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) devices have been found to be very effective non-pharmacologic alternative therapy for such patients. There are various types of LAAC devices but United States Food and Drug Administration (US-FDA) have approved only Watchman device. Initially, bigger medical centers in the US had started the insertion of Watchman device but with improving procedural techniques and exciting outcomes, even the community-based hospitals have started to embrace this therapy. We have presented the first three cases of Watchman device placement performed in our hospital and discussed about the indications for placement of LAAC devices. We have also reviewed their efficacy individually.

Virus de inmunodeficiencia humana: ¿estado de hipercoagulabilidad? Presentación de dos casos / Is AIDS a prothrombotic entity? Report of two cases

La infección por VIH ha sido reconocida en la actualidad como una condición protrombótica, reportándose en pacientes con SIDA 10 veces mayor riesgo de desarrollo de eventos tromboembólicos de los sistemas arterial y venoso; la literatura reciente ha estimado una incidencia entre el 0.26% y 7.6 %; dicha incidencia se describe asociada a infecciones. oportunistas y/o malignidades. Una variedad de mecanismos potenciales relacionados con factores del hospedador, el virus y el TARV (tratamiento antiretroviral), están implicados en el estado de hipercoagulabilidad en pacientes con SIDA, cuya fisiopatología conduce a alteraciones en la respuesta inflamatoria y de la cascada de coagulación que no han sido bien dilucidadas; sin embargo, incluye la presencia de anticuerpos anticardiolipinas, disminución de anticoagulantes naturales, y otros factores independientes que en conjunto originan morbi-mortalidad creciente si dicha predisposición a eventos trombóticos no es reconocida por el médico. Los autores de este artículo describen 2 casos de eventos trombóticos en pacientes con síndrome de inmunodeficiencia humana hospitalizados en el Servicio de Medicina Interna de Hospital Universitario de Caracas(AU)

AIDS infection has now been recognized as a prothrombotic condition reported in patients with this disease, and have been found 10 times at greater risk of developing thromboembolic events with systemic involvement. Recent literature has estimated an incidence between 0.26% and 7.6%, also described in association with opportunistic infections and / or malignancies. A variety of potential mechanisms related to host factors, virus and antiretroviral therapy (ART) are implicated in the hypercoagulability status in HIV-positive patients, the pathophysiology leading to alterations in the inflammatory response and the coagulation cascade. It has not been well understood and includes the presence of anticardiolipin antibodies, reduction of natural anticoagulants, and other independent factors that lead to increased morbidity and mortality if such predisposition to thrombotic events is not recognized by the clinician. The authors of this article describe 2 cases of thrombotic events in patients with human immunodeficiency syndrome hospitalized in the Hospital Universitario of Caracas, Venezuela(AU)