Acute Coronary Syndrome During the Era of COVID-19: Perspective and Implications Using Google Trends.

Background: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) hospital admissions decreased during the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. Information is limited on how Google searches were related to patients' behaviour during this time. Methods: We examined de-identified data from 2019 through 2020 regarding the following monthly items: (i) admissions for ACS from the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System; (ii) out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) from the National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS) public dataset; and (iii) Google searches for "chest pain," "coronavirus," "chest pressure," and "hospital safe" from Google Trends. We analyzed the trends for ACS admissions, OHCA, and Google searches. Results: During the early months of the first COVID-19 outbreak, the following occurred: (i) Veterans Affairs data showed a significant reduction in ACS admissions at a national and regional (Florida) level; (ii) the NEMSIS database showed a marked increase in OHCA at a national level; and (iii) Google Trends showed a significant increase in the before-mentioned Google searches at a national and regional level. Conclusions: ACS hospital admissions decreased during the beginning of the pandemic, likely owing to delayed healthcare utilization secondary to patients fear of acquiring a COVID-19 infection. Concordantly, the volume of Google searches for hospital safety and ACS symptoms increased, along with OHCA events, during the same time. Our results suggest that Google Trends may be a useful tool to predict patients' behaviour and increase preparedness for future events, but statistical strategies to establish association are needed.

Contexte: Les admissions à l'hôpital pour un syndrome coronarien aigu (SCA) ont diminué au début de la pandémie de COVID-19. Or, il existe peu de données sur les recherches effectuées par les patients dans Google pendant cette période. Méthodologie: Nous avons examiné des données mensuelles dépersonnalisées de 2019 à 2020 sur les éléments suivants : i) admissions pour un SCA dans le système de santé de Veterans Affairs aux États-Unis; ii) arrêts cardiaques extrahospitaliers (ACEH) de l'ensemble de données publiques du National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS); et iii) les recherches dans Google selon Google Trends pour « chest pain ¼ (douleur thoracique), « coronavirus ¼, « chest pressure ¼ (oppression thoracique) et « hospital safe ¼ (sécurité dans les hôpitaux). Nous avons également analysé les tendances relatives aux admissions pour un SCA, aux ACEH et aux recherches dans Google. Résultats: Pour les premiers mois de la première vague de COVID-19, les observations sont les suivantes : i) les données de Veterans Affairs ont montré une réduction significative des admissions pour un SCA à l'échelle nationale et régionale (Floride); ii) la base de données du NEMSIS a montré une augmentation marquée des ACEH à l'échelle nationale; et iii) les tendances observées au moyen de Google Trends indiquent une augmentation significative à l'échelle nationale et régionale des recherches dans Google à l'aide des termes mentionnés précédemment. Conclusions: Les admissions à l'hôpital pour un SCA ont diminué au début de la pandémie, probablement en raison de la crainte des patients de contracter la COVID-19, qui les a amenés à repousser le recours à des soins de santé. Pendant la même période, le volume des recherches dans Google à propos de la sécurité dans les hôpitaux et les symptômes de SCA a augmenté, tout comme le nombre d'ACEH. Nos résultats semblent indiquer que Google Trends pourrait être un outil pratique pour prédire les comportements des patients et mieux se préparer aux événements futurs, mais il convient d'élaborer des stratégies statistiques permettant de mieux caractériser ces liens.

Recent Insights Into Native Valve Infective Endocarditis: JACC Focus Seminar 4/4.

This focused review highlights the latest issues in native valve infective endocarditis. Native valve disease moderately increases the risk of developing infective endocarditis. In 2023, new diagnostic criteria were published by the Duke-International Society of Cardiovascular Infectious Diseases group. New pathogens were designated as typical, and findings on computed tomography imaging were included as diagnostic criteria. It is now recognized that a multidisciplinary approach to care is vital, and the role of an "endocarditis team" is highlighted. Recent studies have suggested that a transition from intravenous to oral antibiotics in selected patients may be reasonable, and the role of long-acting antibiotics is discussed. It is also now clear that an aggressive surgical approach can be life-saving in some patients. Finally, results of several recent studies have suggested there is an association between dental and other invasive procedures and an increased risk of developing infective endocarditis. Moreover, data indicate that antibiotic prophylaxis may be effective in some scenarios.

Pericardiocentesis Outcomes in Patients With Pulmonary Hypertension: A Nationwide Analysis from the United States.

Pericardiocentesis (PC) in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) and pericardial effusions has unclear benefits because it has been associated with acute hemodynamic collapse and increased mortality. Data on in-hospital outcomes in this population are limited. The National Inpatient Sample database was used to identify adult patients who underwent PC during hospitalizations between 2016 and 2020. Data were stratified by the presence or absence of PH. A multivariate regression model and case-control matching was used to estimate the association of PH with PC in-hospital outcomes. A total of 95,665 adults with a procedure diagnosis of PC were included, of whom 7,770 had PH. Patients with PH tended to be older (aged 67 ± 15.7 years) and female (56%) and less frequently presented with tamponade (44.9% vs 52.4%). Patients with PH had significantly higher rates of chronic kidney disease, coronary artery disease, heart failure, and chronic lung disease, among other co-morbidities. In the multivariate analysis, PC in PH was associated with higher all-cause mortality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.40, confidence interval [CI] 1.30 to 1.51) and higher rates of postprocedure shock (aOR 1.53, CI 1.30 to 1.81) than patients without PH. Mortality was higher in those with pulmonary arterial hypertension than other nonpulmonary arterial hypertension PH groups (aOR 2.35, 95% CI 1.46 to 3.80, p <0.001). The rates of cardiogenic shock (aOR 1.49, 95% CI 1.38 to 1.61), acute respiratory failure (aOR 1.56, 95% CI 1.48 to 1.64), and mechanical circulatory support use (aOR 1.86, 95% CI 1.63 to 2.12) were also higher in patients with PH. There was no significant volume-outcome relation between hospitals with a high per-annum pericardiocentesis volume compared with low-volume hospitals in these patients. In conclusion, PC is associated with increased in-hospital mortality and higher rates of cardiovascular complications in patients with PH, regardless of the World Health Organization PH group.

Impact of Chronic Heart Failure on Acute Pulmonary Embolism in-Hospital Outcomes (From a Contemporary Study).

There is a paucity of evidence on the impact of chronic heart failure (HF) on acute pulmonary embolism (PE) hospitalization outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in-hospital outcomes of patients with chronic HF and acute PE. A total of 1,391,145 hospitalizations with acute PE from the National Inpatient Sample Database from 2011 to 2019 were included. The database was queried for relevant International Classification of Diseases, Ninth and Tenth Revisions procedural and diagnostic codes. Baseline characteristics and in-hospital outcomes for patients with acute PE were compared in patients with and without a history of chronic HF. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed, adjusting for age, race, gender, and statistically significant co-morbidities between cohorts. A p value <0.001 was considered significant. Overall, the mean age was 65.2±16 years; 50.9% of patients were women, and 230,875 patients (16.6%) had chronic HF. The patients in the chronic HF cohort were predominantly older (mean age 69.0 vs 61.4 years) and male (49.9% vs 48.3%). In the multivariate model, chronic HF was associated with increased all-cause mortality (odds ratio [OR] 1.6, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.57 to 1.63, 10.4% vs 5.7%), acute respiratory distress (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.70 to 1.74, 39.5% vs 22.1%), cardiac arrest (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.40 to 1.49, 3.9% vs 2.2%), and cardiogenic shock (OR 3.0, 95% CI 2.85 to 3.06, 4.2% vs 1.2%). All p values were <0.001. In conclusion, patients with PE and chronicHF are associated with increased in-hospital complications compared with patients with PE and without chronic HF. Prospective studies are needed to evaluate optimal management strategies in this population at high risk.

Species designation of streptococci causing infective endocarditis in patients with mitral valve prolapse.

OBJECTIVES: Viridans group streptococci (VGS) have been previously linked to infective endocarditis (IE) in patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP). The species identification of VGS is now available in clinical laboratories; however, it has not been examined in MVP IE. Therefore, we detailed the clinical profile, species designations, and antibiotic susceptibility of VGS isolates from patients with MVP IE. METHODS: We retrospectively queried all adults with MVP and a definite or possible IE diagnosis seen at medical centers of the Mayo Clinic Enterprise from January 2009 to December 2021. Data, including clinical characteristics, comorbidities, microbiology, and outcomes, were extracted from electronic health records. VGS isolates from patients with MVP and IE were subclassified into mutans, salivarius, anginosus, sanguinis, and mitis groups. RESULTS: A total of 38 patients with MVP with IE due to streptococcal species were included. Overall, median age was 62.4 years and 32% of patients were females. The most prevalent comorbidities were diabetes mellitus (26%), hypertension (21%), heart failure (16%), and malignancy (16%). A total of (37%) patients presented with an embolic event at the time of their IE diagnosis, 27 (66%) required valve surgery, and no patient died within the hospital stay. The Streptococcus mitis group was the predominant (n = 17, 45%) species designation; S. anginosus and S. sanguinis were identified in three (8%) each; S. mutans in two (5%); and S. salivarius in one (3%). Non-VGS streptococcal pathogens included S. agalactiae in three patients (8%), S. equi in two (5%), and S. dysgalactiae and S. bovis in one each (3%). VGS were identified in five (13%) patients, but species designation was not done. No penicillin resistance was identified among the isolates. CONCLUSION: The S. mitis group was the predominant species in our investigation. Continued evaluation of VGS species should be considered to profile the IE risk based on species identification.

Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia and mortality: a population-based study in Olmsted County, Minnesota, from 2006 to 2020.

OBJECTIVES: To provide an evaluation of predictors of 6-month mortality in incident Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia cases. METHODS: A retrospective population-based study of 541 adult residents of Olmsted County, MN with monomicrobial S. aureus bacteraemia from 1 January 2006 through 31 December 2020. Multivariable Cox regression was used to investigate risk factors of 6-month mortality. RESULTS: The median (interquartile range [IQR]) age of 541 patients with S. aureus bacteraemia was 66.8 (54.4-78.5) years and 39.6% were female. The median (IQR) Charlson Comorbidity Index was 6 (3-9). Overall, 144 patients died during the six-month period following their initial episode (30-day and 6-month mortality = 16.5% and 26.7%, respectively). In a multivariable analysis, older age, ICU admission, and unknown source of infection were significant predictors of increased 6-month mortality. In contrast, having an infectious diseases (ID) consultation was associated with reduced mortality in the first 2 weeks of follow-up. Secondary analyses revealed an early benefit of ID consultation during the first 30 days of follow-up and that infective endocarditis was an additional predictor of 6-month mortality. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this investigation represents the only US population-based study evaluating predictors of mortality in patients with S. aureus bacteraemia. The finding of a short-term survival benefit associated with early ID consultation may be due to more extensive diagnostic efforts.

A Population-Based Evaluation of Polymicrobial Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia.

OBJECTIVE: To provide an evaluation of incidence and six-month mortality rates of polymicrobial Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (p-SAB) in the United States (US). METHODS: A retrospective population-based study of all incident adults with monomicrobial SAB (m-SAB) and p-SAB in Olmsted County, Minnesota (MN) from 1 January 2006, through 31 December 2020, was conducted. Demographics, clinical characteristics, in-hospital outcomes, and six-month survival were compared between groups. RESULTS: Overall, 31 incident p-SAB cases occurred during the 15-year study period, corresponding to an overall age- and sex-standardized incidence rate of 1.9/100,000 person-years (95% CI, 1.3-2.6). One-third of p-SAB cases were due to MRSA, and almost one-half (15/31) were caused by Gram-positive bacteria. As compared to the 541 cases with incident m-SAB, p-SAB patients were more likely to have a catheter-related infection (p = 0.008) and less likely to be community-acquired cases (p = 0.027). The unadjusted risk of six-month mortality was greater in the p-SAB group (14/31, 45.2%) compared to the m-SAB group (144/541, 26.6%) (HR = 1.94, 95% CI = 1.12-3.36, p = 0.018). After adjusting for relevant covariates, this difference approached significance (HR = 1.93, 95% = CI 0.96-3.87, p = 0.064). CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, the current investigation represents the only US population-based study evaluating p-SAB patients. We found lower incidence rates for p-SAB than previously reported, with almost one-half of the cases caused by Gram-positive bacteria. Furthermore, these patients had poor survival compared to incident m-SAB cases.

Pulmonary artery capacitance and pulmonary vascular resistance as prognostic indicators in acute pulmonary embolism.

Aims: The non-invasive calculation of right ventricular (RV) haemodynamics as pulmonary artery (PA) capacitance (PAC) and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) have proved to be feasible, easy to perform, and of high prognostic value. We, therefore, evaluated whether baseline PAC and PVR could predict clinical outcomes for patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE). Methods and results: We prospectively followed 373 patients [mean (standard deviation) age, 64.1 (14.9) years; 58.4% were men, and 27.9% had cancer] who had acute PE and transthoracic echocardiography within 1 day of diagnosis from 1 March 2013 through 30 June 2020. Pulmonary artery capacitance was calculated as left ventricular stroke volume/(PA systolic pressure - PA diastolic pressure). Pulmonary vascular resistance was calculated as (tricuspid regurgitant velocity/RV outflow tract velocity time integral) × 10 + 0.16. These two variables were calculated retrospectively from the values obtained with transthoracic echocardiography. Pulmonary artery capacitance was acquired in 99 (27%) patients and PVR in 65 (17%) patients. Univariable and bivariable logistic regression analyses, and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to evaluate the ability of these haemodynamic measurements to predict mortality up to 6 months. After using bivariable models to adjust individually for age, cancer, and pulmonary hypertension. Pulmonary vascular resistance was associated with all-cause mortality at 3 months [area under the curve (AUC) 0.75, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.61-0.86; P = 0.01], and 6 months (AUC 0.81; 95% CI 0.69-0.91; P ≤ 0.03). Pulmonary artery capacitance was associated with all-cause mortality at 30 days (AUC 0.95; 95% CI 0.82-0.99; P < 0.001) and 3 months (AUC 0.84; 95% CI 0.65-0.99; P = 0.003). Conclusion: Non-invasive measurement of RV haemodynamics could provide prognostic information of patients with acute PE. Pulmonary artery capacitance and PVR are potentially important predictors of all-cause mortality in these patients and should be explored in future studies.

Incidence of Monomicrobial Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia: A Population-Based Study in Olmsted County, Minnesota-2006 to 2020.

Background: Population-based studies of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) in the United States are limited. We provide a contemporary evaluation of SAB incidence in Olmsted County, Minnesota, from 2006 to 2020. Methods: This was a retrospective population-based study of all adult patients with SAB residing in Olmsted County from 1 January 2006 through 31 December 2020. Initial episodes of SAB were identified using the microbiology laboratory databases at both Olmsted Medical Center and Mayo Clinic Rochester. Results: Overall, 541 incident SAB cases were identified with a median age of 66.8 (interquartile range, 54.4-78.5) years, and 60.4% were male. Among these cases, 298 (56.2%) were due to methicillin-susceptible S aureus (MSSA) and 232 (43.8%) cases of methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA). The overall age- and sex-adjusted SAB incidence rate (IR) was 33.9 (95% confidence interval [CI], 31.0-36.8) cases/100 000 person-years (PY). Males had a higher age-adjusted IR of 46.0 (95% CI, 41.0-51.0) cases/100 000 PY compared to females (IR, 24.4 [95% CI, 21.1-27.7] cases/100 000 PY). Age- and sex-adjusted SAB IRs due to MSSA and MRSA were 18.7 and 14.6 cases/100 000 PY, respectively, and the percentage of incident SAB cases due to MRSA fluctuated across the study period. There was no apparent temporal trend in SAB incidence over the study period (P = .093). Conclusions: Our investigation represents the only contemporary population-based study in the United States. Despite the impression that SAB incidence may have increased based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveillance data, our finding of no change in SAB incidence was somewhat unanticipated.

Incidence Trends and Epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia: A Systematic Review of Population-Based Studies.

OBJECTIVES: To determine incidence trends of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) from population-based studies from multiple countries. METHODS: A contemporary systematic review was conducted using Ovid Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (1991+), Ovid Embase (1974+), Ovid Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE) (1946+ including epub ahead of print, in-process & other non-indexed citations), and Web of Science Core Collection (Science Citation Index Expanded 1975+ and Emerging Sources Citation Index 2015+). Two authors (J.R.H. and J.A.Q.M.) independently reviewed all studies and included those that reported population-based incidence of SAB in patients aged 18 years and older. RESULTS: Twenty-six studies met inclusion criteria with the highest number (n=6) of studies conducted in Canada. The incidence of SAB ranged from 9.3 to 65 cases/100,000/year. The median age of patients with SAB ranged from 62 to 72 years and SAB cases were more commonly observed in men than in women. The most common infection sources were intravascular catheters and skin and soft tissue infections. SAB incidence trends demonstrated high variability for geographic regions and calendar years. Overall, there was no change in the incidence trend across all studies during the past two decades. CONCLUSION: Multiple factors, both pros, and cons are likely responsible for the overall stable SAB incidence in countries included in this systematic review. Some of these factors vary in geographic location and prompt additional investigations from countries not included in the current review so that a more global characterization is defined.

Contemporary demographics, diagnostics and outcomes in non-bacterial thrombotic endocarditis.

OBJECTIVE: Non-bacterial thrombotic endocarditis (NBTE) is a syndrome characterised by cardiac valve vegetations and/or thickening due to non-infective mechanisms. Nowadays, a premortem diagnosis of NBTE is possible based on echocardiographic findings. Therefore, to better characterise this disease, we performed a contemporary review of the epidemiology, demographics, diagnosis and clinical outcomes of these patients. METHODS: Adults with a diagnosis of NBTE seen within the Mayo Clinic Enterprise from December 2014 to December 2021 were included. NBTE diagnosis was identified by clinicians representing at least two specialties including cardiology, infectious diseases, rheumatology and oncology. Patients with positive blood cultures, infective endocarditis, culture-negative endocarditis and denial of research authorisation were excluded. All patients had a 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: Forty-eight cases were identified; mean age was 60.0±13.8 years, 75% were female. The most prevalent comorbidities were malignancy (52.1%) and connective tissue disease (37.5%). Valvular abnormalities included 41 (85.4%) patients with vegetations, 43 (89.6%) patients with thickening and 26 (54.2%) with moderate to severe regurgitation. Thirty-eight (79.2%) patients had an embolic event (stroke in 26 (54.2%) patients) within 1 month of NBTE diagnosis and 16 (33.3%) patients died within 1 year of NBTE diagnosis. Metastatic tumours and lung cancer were associated with 1-year all-cause mortality (p=0.0017 and p=0.0004, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: NBTE was more prevalent in females and embolic complications were the most frequent clinical finding. Overall, patients with NBTE had a poor prognosis, particularly in those with lung cancer or metastatic tumours. Further studies in patients with NBTE are needed given its morbidity and mortality.

A clinical profile of infective endocarditis in patients with recent COVID-19: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can progress to cardiovascular complications which are linked to higher in-hospital mortality rates. Infective endocarditis (IE) can develop in patients with recent COVID-19 infections, however, characterization of IE following COVID-19 infection has been lacking. To better characterize this disease, we performed a systematic review with descriptive analysis of the clinical features and outcomes of these patients. METHODS: Our search was conducted in 8 databases for all published reports of probable or definite IE in patients with a prior COVID-19 confirmed diagnosis. After ensuring an appropriate inclusion of the articles, we extracted data related to clinical characteristics, modified duke criteria, microbiology, outcomes, and procedures. RESULTS: Searches generated a total of 323 published reports, and 20 articles met our inclusion criteria. The mean age of patients was 52.2 ± 16.9 years and 76.2% were males. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated in 8 (38.1%) patients, Enterococcus faecalis in 3 patients (14.3%) and Streptococcus mitis/oralis in 2 (9.5%) patients. The mean time interval between COVID-19 and IE diagnoses was 16.7 ± 15 days. Six (28.6%) patients required critical care due to IE, 7 patients (33.3%) underwent IE-related cardiac surgery and 5 patients (23.8%) died during their IE hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: Our systematic review provides a profile of clinical features and outcomes of patients with a prior COVID-19 infection diagnosis who subsequently developed IE. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential that clinicians appreciate the possibility of IE as a unique complication of COVID-19 infection.

Radiation-Induced Heart Disease.

Cancer incidence and survivorship have had a rising tendency over the last two decades due to better treatment modalities. One of these is radiation therapy (RT), which is used in 20-55% of cancer patients, and its basic principle consists of inhibiting proliferation or inducing apoptosis of cancer cells. Classically, photon beam RT has been the mainstay therapy for these patients, but, in the last decade, proton beam has been introduced as a new option. This newer method focuses more on the tumor and affects less of the surrounding normal tissue, i.e., the heart. Radiation to the heart is a common complication of RT, especially in patients with lymphoma, breast, lung, and esophageal cancer. The pathophysiology is due to changes in the microvascular and macrovascular milieu that can promote accelerated atherosclerosis and/or induce fibrosis of the myocardium, pericardium, and valves. These complications occur days, weeks, or years after RT and the risk factors associated are high radiation doses (>30 Gy), concomitant chemotherapy (primarily anthracyclines), age, history of heart disease, and the presence of cardiovascular risk factors. The understanding of these mechanisms and risk factors by physicians can lead to a tailored assessment and monitorization of these patients with the objective of early detection or prevention of radiation-induced heart disease. Echocardiography is a noninvasive method which provides a comprehensive evaluation of the pericardium, valves, myocardium, and coronaries, making it the first imaging tool in most cases; however, other modalities, such as computed tomography, nuclear medicine, or cardiac magnetic resonance, can provide additional value.