Complications and outcome in left-sided endocarditis in children

We retrospectively assessed the clinical course and outcome of left-sided endocarditis in pediatric patients to find out the prognostic significance of the presence and size of echocardiographically detected vegetations. Among the children admitted to our institution with endocarditis between January 1987 and October 1999, 16 patients (mean age 9.03 +/- 4.95 years) who met the Duke criteria for the diagnosis of infective endocarditis (IE) were included in this study. Rheumatic valvular disease was the most frequent underlying heart disease (10 patients: 62.5%). Five patients were operated at a mean of 13.9 months before endocarditis, and all had residual defects. Vegetation was detected in 11 cases (69%). Ten patients had major complications (within 2 weeks in 6 patients). Three patients developed congestive heart failure (CHF), six had intracranial and one had lower extremity emboli. Among them four were operated because of complications (CHF: 3 cases, intracranial emboli: 1 case). All the operated cases are doing well. The association between intracranial embolic events and echocardiographically detected vegetations was determined by calculating specificity (40%), sensitivity (100%), positive predictive value (50%), and negative predictive value (100%). No intracranial embolism occurred in patients without vegetations. All vegetations were < or = 6 mm in patients with systemic embolism. There were four deaths, three of which were because of intracranial embolism. This study suggests that intracranial emboli have a major risk of mortality in left-sided endocarditis. The larger size of the vegetation is not a predictor of complications; furthermore, the absence of vegetations predicts that the patient is safe from embolic events. Therefore all patients with left-sided IE should be considered for earlier surgical intervention.     

Significant others' experience of suffering when living with women with breast cancer

This is an inquiry into how significant others experience being close to a woman suffering from breast cancer. In order to find this out, theme interviews were arranged with 17 women and 16 significant others from four different caring cultures in Sweden and Finland. A phenomenological case study methodology was adopted and in the analysis of the data a scientific teamwork model was employed, based on ideas developed at the Vancouver School of Doing Phenomenology. The findings show that the significant others experience deep often unrelieved suffering. They consider themselves prisoners of a situation of uncertainty and powerlessness when standing by the woman. They are torn between their own suffering and their desire to alleviate the woman's suffering. A vicious circle of mutual protection intensifies the suffering of the significant other, while actively sharing the suffering brings relief. The gravity of the situation creates an ethical urge in the significant other to assume responsibility for life in common with the woman.     

Total shoulder arthroplasty vs. hemiarthroplasty

Shoulder arthroplasty remains problematic despite the dramatic development of the new implant systems, due to the anatomical characteristics of the shoulder joint. The development of the modern third and fourth generation of shoulder prostheses enables the surgeon by its the three dimensional modularity to adjust the inclination and dorsomedial offset and to reconstruct the anatomic center of rotation. The fixation of the glenoid component is one of the most complicated aspects in the total shoulder arthroplasty. The main criteria regarding hemi- or total arthroplasty are based on morphological changes in the glenoid, the condition of the rotator cuff muscles, disorder etiology, age and activity level of the patient. The cup arthroplasty has proven itself as an alternative to standard humeral shaft arthroplasty. The main advantages of this new system are the elimination of the obligatory humeral head resection and the possibility of converting to the classical humeral shaft prosthesis method. First experiences with the cup system have been evaluated in the department of accident and reconstructive surgery of the UKBF in Berlin as part of a clinical trial. Between March 1998 and June 1999 15 shoulder prostheses in 14 patients were implanted in this hospital. The implants were inserted 8 times in a rheumatic shoulder, 4 times in posttraumatic arthrosis and in 3 humeral head necroses. 13 patients with 14 prostheses were available for follow up. An improvement from 23 to 55 average score points (Constant-Score) was attained by implantation of the cup system within a mean postoperative observation period of 6.1 months.     

PMEPA1, a transforming growth factor-beta-induced marker of terminal colonocyte differentiation whose expression is maintained in primary and metastatic colon cancer

To identify potential effectors of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta-mediated suppression of colon cancer, we used GeneChip expression microarrays to identify TGF-beta-induced genes in VACO 330, a nontransformed TGF-beta-sensitive cell line derived from a human adenomatous colon polyp. PMEPA1 was identified as a gene highly up-regulated by TGF-beta treatment of VACO 330. Northern blot analysis confirmed TGF-beta induction of PMEPA1 in VACO 330, as well as a panel of three other TGF-beta-sensitive colon cell lines. PMEPA1 induction could be detected as early as 2 h after TGF-beta treatment and was not inhibited by pretreatment of cells with cycloheximide, suggesting that PMEPA1 is a direct target of TGF-beta signaling. Wild-type PMEPA1 and an alternative splice variant lacking the putative transmembrane domain were encoded by the PMEPA1 locus and were shown by epitope tagging to encode proteins with differing subcellular localization. Both variants were found to be expressed in normal colonic epithelium, and both were shown to be induced by TGF-beta. Consistent with TGF-beta playing a role in terminal differentiation of colonocytes, in situ hybridization of normal colonic epithelium localized PMEPA1 expression to nonproliferating, terminally differentiated epithelium located at the top of colonic crypts. Intriguingly, in situ hybridization and Northern blot analysis showed that the expression of PMEPA1 was well maintained both in colon cancer primary tumors and in colon cancer liver metastases. PMEPA1 is thus a novel TGF-beta-induced marker of a differentiated crypt cell population. Moreover, as PMEPA1 expression is maintained, presumptively in a TGF-beta-independent manner after malignant transformation and metastasis, it demonstrates that even late colon cancers retain a strong capacity to execute many steps of the normal colonic differentiation program.     

DLQI scores in patients with keloids and hypertrophic scars: a prospective case control study

Background: Keloids and hypertrophic scars (HTS) can cause functional impairment and psychosocial burdens, both of which affects quality of life (QoL). Our aim was to compare Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) scores in patients with keloids and HTS to those of psoriasis patients and normal controls. Patients and Methods: Forty‐eight consecutive patients with keloids and HTS and 48 with psoriasis vulgaris attending our dermatology outpatient clinic, as well as 48 sex‐ and age‐matched healthy controls completed the DLQI. Results: Total DLQI scores of patients with keloids and HTS (7.79 ± 5.10) and psoriasis (8.73 ± 5.63) were comparable and significantly higher than that of healthy controls (0.58 ± 0.77). No significant difference were found between patients with psoriasis and patients with keloids and HTS in terms of the total DLQI scores and the subscale scores (p > 0.05) except “treatment” (p < 0.05) sub‐scale scores which were higher in psoriasis. Conclusions: The QoL of patients with keloids and HTS is impaired as much as that of those with psoriasis. The DLQI questionnaire is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing the QoL in patients with keloids and HTS.     

Mitral valve surgery for acute papillary muscle rupture

Background

Papillary muscle rupture (PMR) is a rare complication of a myocardial infarction. The aim of this study was to review our results of mitral valve surgery for acute PMR.

Methods

Data from patients undergoing emergent mitral valve surgery for acute PMR between 2011 and 2017 at our institution were reviewed. Outcomes included operative morbidity and mortality, mitral valve reoperation, and hospital readmission.

Results

A total of 2479 patients underwent mitral valve surgery during the study period including 24 (1.0%) for PMR. Mean age was 62 years, and two (8.3%) patients had prior open‐heart surgery. Overall Society of Thoracic Surgeons predicted risk of mortality was 17.5%. Operative mortality was 12.5% (n = 3) with an observed‐to‐expected mortality ratio of 0.71. There were no strokes, and new onset dialysis was required in two (8.3%) patients. Mean follow‐up was 2.40 ± 1.96 years. Three‐year mortality, mitral valve reoperation, and readmission rates were 21.1%, 5.0%, and 45.4%.

Conclusions

Expeditious operative intervention for PMR can be associated with acceptable operative and longer‐term outcomes.     

Does pravastatin therapy affect cardiac enzyme levels after percutaneous coronary intervention?

Serum cardiac enzyme elevation after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), a relatively common complication, is a prognostic determinant of long-term outcome in patients who undergo these procedures. Statins are postulated to reduce such complications. This study investigated the short-term effects of pravastatin on serum creatine kinase myocardial isoform (CK-MB) and serum cardiac troponin I (cTpI) levels after elective PCI. Of 93 patients studied, 72 (77.4%) were men, and 21 (22.6%) were women (mean age, 58.9±11.0 y). Patients were randomly divided into 3 groups before they underwent elective PCI. Preoperatively, group 1 patients (n=30) received pravastatin 10 mg/d, and group 2 patients (n=29) received pravastatin 40 mg/d. Control group patients (n=34) received no lipid-lowering medication. Serum CK-MB and serum cTpI levels were measured preoperatively and then again at 6, 24, and 36 h postoperatively. Demographic features of patients and characteristics of the PCI procedure, including number of vessels/lesions and duration and number of inflations, did not differ among groups (P>.05). Mean serum CK-MB and serum cTpI levels were significantly increased after PCI in all patients (P<.001). When compared with control group patients, those given pravastatin did not experience significantly lowered postprocedural serum CK-MB or serum cTpI levels (P>.05). Preprocedural pravastatin therapy at dosages of 10 mg/d and 40 mg/d seems inadequate for preventing serum cardiac enzyme elevations during short-term follow-up after PCI. Additional research on this topic is recommended.