Digital health technologies in enhancing patient and caregiver engagement in heart failure management: Opportunities and challenges.

The management of heart failure has undergone significant evolution, advancing from the initial utilization of digitalis and diuretics to the contemporary practice of personalized medicine and sophisticated device therapy. Despite these advancements, the persistent challenge of high hospitalization and readmission rates underscores an urgent need for innovative solutions. This manuscript explores how the integration of digital health technologies into interventional cardiology marks a paradigm shift in the management of heart failure. These technologies are no longer mere adjuncts but have become foundational to a modern approach, providing tools for continuous monitoring, patient education, and improved outcomes post-intervention. Through an examination of current trends, this perspective article highlights the transformative impact of wearable technologies, telehealth platforms, and advanced analytical tools in reshaping patient engagement and enabling proactive care strategies. Case studies illustrate the practical advantages, including enhanced medication adherence, early detection of heart failure signs, and a reduction in healthcare facility burdens. Central to this new digital health landscape is the Information Technology Management (ITM) system, a framework poised to revolutionize patient and caregiver engagement and pave the way for the future of interventional cardiology. This manuscript delineates the ITM system's innovative architecture and its consequential role in refining current and prospective cardiological interventions.

Eptifibatide-induced acute profound thrombocytopenia: A case report.

RATIONALE: Eptifibatide is an antiplatelet agent used in the medical management of acute coronary syndrome. Although multiple studies did not reveal a significant association between eptifibatide and the development of thrombocytopenia, recent case reports brought attention to this relatively rare side effect. PATIENT CONCERNS: We report a 61 years old male with acute coronary syndrome who underwent primary coronary intervention. DIAGNOSIS AND INTERVENTION: The patient developed acute profound thrombocytopenia following eptifibatide administration. Following prompt offending drug discontinuation, the platelet counts recovered, without clinical sequelae or the need for platelet transfusion. Dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel was resumed after platelet count normalization. OUTCOMES: The patient had a normal platelet count and no bleeding events on follow-up after three months upon discharge. CONCLUSION: Eptifibatide, a glycoprotein IIa/IIIb inhibitor used in the management of acute coronary syndrome, can induce acute, profound thrombocytopenia that can have significant morbidity in patients. This case highlights this relatively rare side effect and the importance of monitoring blood counts and observing for any signs of bleeding or thrombosis that might occur in such patients.

Fatal native aortic valve fungal endocarditis caused by Aspergillus flavus: A case report.

Fungal endocarditis is a rare condition, specifically in immunocompetent patients. Aspergillus species are the etiology in less than 30% of the cases. Moreover, Aspergillus flavus endocarditis is extremely rare and reported in only 7% of the total Aspergillus endocarditis cases. The most common predisposing factors are immunocompromised state, prosthetic valve, and previous cardiac surgery. In most cases, the diagnosis is delayed and occasionally missed. Prompt medical management combined with early surgical intervention is recommended once the diagnosis is established since the mortality rate is nearly 100% without surgical intervention. We report a rare and fatal case of native aortic valve endocarditis in a 49 years old diabetic patient who presented with fever and abdominal pain, complicated by multiple septic embolizations (splenic infarction, cerebral emboli, and limbs ischemia), and in which A. flavus was confirmed post mortem.