Gideon Y. Stein

Type-II Myocardial Infarction – Patient Characteristics, Management and Outcomes

Background Type-II MI is defined as myocardial infarction (MI) secondary to ischemia due to either increased oxygen demand or decreased supply. This categorization has been used for the last five years, yet, little is known about patient characteristics and clinical outcomes. In the current work we assessed the epidemiology, causes, management and outcomes of type II MI patients. Methods A comparative analysis was performed between patients with type-I and type-II MI who participated in two prospective national Acute Coronary Syndrome Israeli Surveys (ACSIS) performed in 2008 and 2010. Results The surveys included 2818 patients with acute MI of whom 127 (4.5%) had type-II MI. The main causes of type-II MI were anemia (31%), sepsis (24%), and arrhythmia (17%). Patients with type-II MI tended to be older (75.6±12 vs. 63.8±13, p<0.0001), female majority (43.3% vs. 22.3%, p<0.0001), had more frequently impaired functional level (45.7% vs. 17%, p<0.0001) and a higher GRACE risk score (150±32 vs. 110±35, p<0.0001). Patients with type-II MI were significantly less often referred for coronary interventions (36% vs. 89%, p<0.0001) and less frequently prescribed guideline-directed medical therapy. Mortality rates were substantially higher among patients with type-II MI both at thirty-day (13.6% vs. 4.9%, p<0.0001) and at one-year (23.9% vs. 8.6%, p<0.0001) follow-ups. Conclusions Patients with type-II compared to type-I MI have distinct demographics, increased prevalence of multiple comorbidities, a high-risk cardiovascular profile and an overall worse outcome. The complex medical condition of this cohort imposes a great therapeutic challenge and specific guidelines with recommended medical treatment and invasive strategies are warranted.

Gender-related differences in hospitalized heart failure patients.

The burden of heart failure (HF)‐related hospitalization and mortality of female patients with HF is substantial. Currently, several gender‐specific distinctions have been recognized amongst HF patients, but their relationships to outcomes have not been fully elucidated. Accordingly, in the current work, we aimed to explore gender‐specific clinical and echocardiographic measures and to assess their potential impact on outcome.

Resting Anal Pressure Following Hemorrhoidectomy and Lateral Sphincterotomy

PURPOSEThe role of high anal pressure in the pathophysiology of hemorrhoids and anal fissures is debated. We compared resting anal pressures following left lateral sphincterotomy and hemorrhoidectomy in a prospective manometric study with emphasis on the recovery of the internal anal sphincter activity.METHODSIncluded in the study were 38 patients with third-degree or fourth-degree symptomatic hemorrhoids who underwent hemorrhoidectomy, 50 patients with anal fissure who underwent sphincterotomy, and 12 healthy patients who served as controls. All patients with anal fissure or hemorrhoids underwent periodic manometric evaluation: 1 month before surgery and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. The control group had three manometric evaluations 6 months apart.RESULTSBaseline pressure measurement in the fissure group was significantly higher than in the hemorrhoid group, which was significantly higher than in the control group (138 ± 28.4 mmHg vs. 108.4 ± 23 mmHg vs. 73 ± 5.9 mmHg, P < 0.0001). Twelve months after surgery, anal resting pressure remained significantly lower than the baseline measurements in both the fissure (110 ± 18.2 vs. 138 ± 28.4, P < 0.0001) and hemorrhoid groups (103.6 ± 21.5 vs. 108 ± 23, P < 0.0001), but both remained higher than the control group (103.6 ± 21.5 mmHg vs. 73 ± 5.9 mmHg, P < 0.0001).CONCLUSIONSResting pressure is elevated in hemorrhoid and anal fissure patients. After surgery the anal resting pressure is reduced but is still higher than in the control group. Further studies are required to investigate the protective effect of postsurgical reduction of anal resting pressure against recurrence.

Predictors and outcomes of infection-related hospital admissions of heart failure patients.

Background Infections are one of the most common causes for hospitalization of patients with heart failure (HF). Yet, little is known regarding the prevalence and predictors of different types of acute infections as well as their impact on outcome among this growing population. Methods and Results We identified all patients aged 50 or older with a major diagnosis of HF and at least one echocardiography examination who had been hospitalized over a 10-year period (January 2000 and December 2009). Infection-associated admissions were identified according to discharge diagnoses. Among 9,335 HF patients, 3530 (38%) were hospitalized at least once due to infections. The most frequent diagnoses were respiratory infection (52.6%) and sepsis/bacteremia (23.6%) followed by urinary (15.7%) and skin and soft tissue infections (7.8%). Hospitalizations due to infections compared to other indications were associated with increased 30-day mortality (13% vs. 8%, p<0.0001). These higher mortality rates were predominately related to respiratory infections (OR 1.28 [95% CI 1.09, 1.5]) and sepsis\bacteremia (OR 3.13 [95% CI 2.6, 3.7]). Important predictors for these serious infections included female gender, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, past myocardial infarction and echocardiography-defined significant right (RV) but not left ventricular dysfunction. Conclusions Major infection-related hospitalizations are frequent among patients with HF and are associated with increased mortality rates. Elderly female patients with multiple comorbidities and those with severe RV dysfunction are at higher risk for these infections.

Clinical Implications of High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin Measurements in Hospitalized Medical Patients

Background The increased use of high sensitivity cardiac troponins (hs-cTn), have made the diagnosis of non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (MI) challenging, especially in complex medical patients, in whom the clinical presentation of MI is nonspecific and multiple comorbidities as well as non-ischemic acute conditions may account for elevated hs-cTn levels. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of both elevated hs-cTn levels and dynamic changes in hospitalized patients. Methods and Findings We conducted a retrospective study identifying all patients hospitalized in the Internal Medicine Division of Rabin Medical Center, Israel between January 2011 to December 2011, for whom at least one hs-cTn T (hs-cTnT) measurement was obtained. Collected data included patient demographics, acute and chronic diagnosis, hs-cTnT and creatinine levels and date of death. Hs-cTnT levels were obtained in 5,696 admissions and was above the 99th percentile (> = 13 ng/L) in 61.6% of the measurements. A relative change of 50% or higher was observed in 24% of the admissions. Among those with elevated hs-cTnT levels, acute coronary syndromes (ACS) accounted for only 6.1% of acute diagnoses. Maximal hs-cTnT levels above 100 ng/L but not dynamic changes discriminated between ACS and non-ACS conditions (positive and negative predictive values of 12% and 96% respectively). The frequency of elevated hs-cTnT levels was age-dependent and over 75% of patients aged >70 years-old had levels above the 99th percentile. Multivariate analysis identified hs-cTnT levels higher than the 99th percentile, as an independent, strong predictor for 30-day mortality (OR 4.58 [2.8, 7.49], p<0.0001). Conclusions Elevated hs-cTnT levels together with dynamic changes are frequent findings among hospitalized patients and in most cases, are not related to the ACS diagnosis. These findings highlight the diagnostic challenge of ACS in this complex population. Further studies are needed in order to optimize the use of hs-cTnT measurements in hospitalized patients.

Resistance profiles of coagulase-negative staphylococci contaminating blood cultures predict pathogen resistance and patient mortality

OBJECTIVES Blood culture isolates are the cornerstone of adequate antibiotic treatment. However, many blood cultures are contaminated with bacteria residing on the skin, the most common contaminants being coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS). Such contaminated cultures are mostly disregarded. In this retrospective study, we show that contaminated cultures contain diagnostic information. We tested the association between resistance profiles of CoNS contaminants and those of the actual infecting bacteria isolated subsequently from the same patient, as well as their association with short-term mortality. METHODS We identified all patients in Rabin Medical Center, Israel, with positive blood cultures during 2009-12. Data included patient demographics, hospitalization records, comorbidities, blood culture results and date of death. RESULTS Our cohort consists of 2518 patients with 5290 blood cultures, where 1124 patients had 1664 blood cultures with CoNS contaminants. High overall CoNS resistance predicted high overall resistance of the subsequent bacterial isolates (P<0.004 and P<0.0006, for Gram-positive and -negative bacteria, respectively). Moreover, the resistance of CoNS contaminants to a specific antibiotic predicted the resistance of the subsequent bacterial isolates to that antibiotic (OR=5.55, 95% CI=3.54-8.66, P<10(-15) and OR=2.47, 95% CI=1.61-3.78, P<3 ×10(-5), for Gram-positive and -negative bacteria, respectively). Finally, highly resistant CoNS isolates were associated with higher short-term mortality (hazard ratio=1.71, 95% CI=1.4-2.11, P<10(-6)). CONCLUSIONS Resistance patterns of CoNS contaminants predict specific and overall resistance of subsequent blood culture isolates and short-term mortality. These results may help predict patient mortality and correct empirical antibiotic therapy if blood cultures yield contaminant bacteria and imply that skin commensals may serve as an additional, non-invasive, diagnostic tool.