Senthil K. Sivalingam

Informed Decision Making for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Stable Coronary Disease

IMPORTANCE Patients with stable coronary disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are frequently misinformed about the benefits of PCI. Little is known about the quality of decision making before angiography and possible PCI. OBJECTIVE To assess the quality of informed decision making and its association with patient decisions. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS We performed a cross-sectional analysis of recorded conversations between August 1, 2008, and August 31, 2012, among adults with known or suspected stable coronary disease at outpatient cardiology practices. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Presence of 7 elements of informed decision making and the decision to undergo angiography and possible PCI. RESULTS Of 59 conversations conducted by 23 cardiologists, 2 (3%) included all 7 elements of informed decision making; 8 (14%) met a more limited definition of procedure, alternatives, and risks. Specific elements significantly associated with not choosing angiography and possible PCI included discussion of uncertainty (odds ratio [OR], 20.5; 95% CI, 2.3-204.9), patients role (OR, 5.3; 95% CI, 1.3-21.3), exploration of alternatives (OR, 9.5; 95% CI, 2.5-36.5), and exploration of patient preference (OR, 4.8; 95% CI, 1.2-19.4). Neither the presence of angina nor severity of symptoms was associated with choosing angiography and possible PCI. In a multivariable analysis using the total number of elements as a predictor, better informed patients were less likely to choose angiography and possible PCI (OR per additional element, 3.2; 95% CI, 1.4-7.1; P = .005). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In conversations between cardiologists and patients with stable angina, informed decision making is often incomplete. More complete discussions are associated with patients choosing not to undergo angiography and possible PCI.

Covert cryptococcal meningitis in a patient with systemic lupus erythematous

BACKGROUND Cryptococcal meningitis is a rare but well-recognized illness with a high mortality rate in immunosuppressed patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The diagnosis of cryptococcal meningitis in these patients can be challenging, especially in the emergency department (ED), as the clinical presentation may be non-specific, which can lead to delayed treatment. OBJECTIVE To recognize risk factors associated with the development of cryptococcal meningitis infection in patients with SLE and to provide an update on the clinical presentation, prognosis, and therapeutic options. CASE REPORT A 21-year-old man with SLE presented with a 4-day history of headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting after being discharged from the ED 1 day before this visit, after lumbar puncture showed normal values. One week before, he had completed 7-day pulse therapy with intravenous cyclophosphamide and intravenous methylprednisone for lupus nephritis. The patient was febrile, but the remainder of the examination was normal. Laboratory data showed lymphopenia. Given his immunocompromised state, a cryptococcal antigen was added to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sent from the prior ED visit and was positive at a titer of 1:8. The patient was treated with amphotericin B and 5-flucytosine for 6 weeks. Ten months later the patient remained free of infection. CONCLUSION Normal neurological and CSF examination do not exclude cryptococcal meningitis in immunocompromised patients with SLE. India ink or, preferably, latex agglutination test and CSF fungal culture are recommended. A high level of suspicion is the key in the diagnosis of cryptococcal meningitis and will help avoid delays in treatment.

Flecainide toxicity—treatment with intravenous fat emulsion and extra corporeal life support

ventricular arrhythmias include phase two re-entry as well as triggered automaticity following intracellular calcium accumulation in epicardial cells (5). Cardiac arrhythmias seen with hypothermia usually resolve spontaneously with rewarming (6). It has been noted that hypothermic myocardium is less responsive to antiarrhythmic drugs and defi brillation at temperatures below 28 ° C/82.4 ° F (6), as noted in our patient. When cardiac instability with loss of circulation is noted, the best available care includes extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) or CPB (7). Th e neurologically intact survival rate in cardiac arrest patients treated with these modalities is approximately 50% (8). In patients with return of spontaneous circulation, the rates of multi-organ failure are high and pulmonary edema is encountered frequently (8). Th is is probably why ECMO has slightly better outcomes than traditional CPB as it is capable of providing pulmonary support (7). Remarkably, the patient walked home, neurologically intact aft er a prolonged hospital stay complicated by acute respiratory distress syndrome, prolonged delirium, clostridium diffi cile colitis and acute tubular necrosis due to rhabdomyolysis. In summary, it is important to anticipate life-threatening arrhythmias when managing a severely hypothermic patient and recognize that usual resuscitative measures may fail. Early activation of surgical/trauma protocols to institute appropriate re-warming including CPB/ECMO is vital. Declaration of interest: Th e authors report no confl icts of interest. Th e authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

ST segment elevation myocardial infarction as a presenting feature of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Myocardial infarction with ST segment elevation (STE) on electrocardiography (ECG) is a common presentation in emergency rooms across the world. Myocardial injury and necrosis are infrequently the initial presentation in patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). A 48-year-old woman presented with STE myocardial infarction from outside hospital for primary percutaneous coronary intervention. However, her clinical picture was not consistent. Rapid evaluation revealed symptoms associated with microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, acute kidney injury with waxing and waning mental status. A diagnosis of TTP was made with low ADAMST-13 activity. Plasmapheresis was initiated along with intravenous steroid therapy. The patient had a full recovery and went home after full recovery of left ventricular ejection fraction and normal myocardial perfusion studies. Rapid evaluation is needed to identify infrequent causes of STE myocardial infarction. As swift protocols are activated in the emergency room and catheterization laboratories to ensure quality control, it is equally important to integrate all aspects of the patients clinical and objective data to detect unusual disease entities.

Randomized controlled trial of remote ischemic preconditioning and atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing cardiac surgery

AIM To study whether remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) has an impact on clinical outcomes, such as post-operative atrial fibrillation (POAF). METHODS This was a prospective, single-center, single-blinded, randomized controlled study. One hundred and two patients were randomized to receive RIPC (3 cycles of 5 min ischemia and 5 min reperfusion in the upper arm after induction of anesthesia) or no RIPC (control). Primary outcome was POAF lasting for five minutes or longer during the first seven days after surgery. Secondary outcomes included length of hospital stay, incidence of inpatient mortality, myocardial infarction, and stroke. RESULTS POAF occurred at a rate of 54% in the RIPC group and 41.2% in the control group (P = 0.23). No statistically significant differences were noted in secondary outcomes between the two groups. CONCLUSION This is the first study in the United States to suggest that RIPC does not reduce POAF in patients with elective or urgent cardiac surgery. There were no differences in adverse effects in either group. Further studies are required to assess the relationship between RIPC and POAF.

Predictors of Medical Management in Patients Undergoing Elective Cardiac Catheterization for Chronic Ischemic Heart Disease

Compared with medical therapy, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) does not reduce mortality or myocardial infarction in patients with stable angina. Therefore, PCI should be guided by refractory anginal symptoms and not just lesion characteristics.

Primary testicular lymphoma with cardiac involvement in an immunocompetent patient: case report and a concise review of literature

Primary testicular lymphoma (PTL) is a rare testicular tumor representing less than 9% of all testicular cancers. PTL usually tends to spread to or relapse at nodal structures or extra-nodal sites such as contralateral testes, central nervous system, skin, lung, pleura, waldeyers ring and soft tissues. We present a case of PTL with huge left atrial mass, an extremely unusual site of involvement. Early disease usually carries a good prognosis, whereas advanced stage carries an extremely poor prognosis. Herein, we report the complete remission to date in a patient with advanced stage PTL with huge left atrial mass, treated with systemic rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone and intrathecal methotrexate. A brief review of literature focusing on various aspects of management of primary testicular lymphoma and lymphomatous involvement of heart is also discussed.

Isolated cardiac sarcoidosis masquerading as right ventricular outflow tract ventricular tachycardia

A 67-year-old man with coronary artery disease (CAD) and left anterior descending artery (LAD) stent presented with symptomatic monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT) at a rate of 190 bpm requiring cardioversion. ECG showed left bundle branch block pattern and inferior axis, suggestive of a right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) focus rather than left ventricular scar due to LAD territory myocardial infarction (MI). Echocardiography showed normal wall motion. Angiography revealed a patent mid-LAD stent. Cardiac MRI with delayed postcontrast sequence revealed several regions of hyperenhancement abnormality within the basal portion of the interventricular septum. Increased metabolic activity on positron emission tomography confirmed active inflammatory sarcoidosis. Although VTs in patients with prior CAD are likely to be related to either scar or ischaemia, alternative diagnoses (eg, infiltrative disorders, RVOT-VT, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy) should be considered in patients with an apparent right ventricular focus on ECG.