Use of a Sandwich Technique to Repair a Left Ventricular Rupture after Mitral Valve Replacement

One difficulty with external repair of left ventricular rupture after mitral valve replacement is collateral bleeding in friable myocardium adjacent to the rupture. The bleeding is caused by tension on the closing sutures, whether or not pledgets have been used.We report the case of a 69-year-old woman who underwent an uneventful mitral valve replacement. After cardiopulmonary bypass was terminated, brisk bleeding started from high in the posterior left ventricular wall, typical of a type III defect. We undertook external repair, placing a plug of Teflon felt into the cavity of the rupture and sandwiching it into place with pledgeted mattress and figure-of-8 sutures. The space occupied by the plug decreased the distance needed to obliterate the defect and thereby reduced the tension on the sutures necessary to achieve hemostasis. This simple technique enabled closure of the defect and avoided collateral tears that would have compromised an otherwise successful repair. Two years postoperatively, the patient had normal mitral valve function and no left ventricular aneurysm. In addition to reporting the patient''s case, we review the types of left ventricular rupture that can occur during mitral valve replacement and discuss the various repair options.     

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and ultra-endurance running - two incompatible entities?

Regular and prolonged exercise is associated with increased left ventricular wall thickness that can overlap with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Differentiating physiological from pathological hypertrophy has important implications, since HCM is the commonest cause of exercise-related sudden cardiac death in young individuals. Most deaths have been reported in intermittent ''start-stop'' sports such as football (soccer) and basketball. The theory is that individuals with HCM are unable to augment stroke volume sufficiently to meet the demands of endurance sports and are accordingly ''selected-out'' of participation in such events. We report the case of an ultra-endurance athlete with 25 years of > 50 km competitive running experience, with genetically confirmed HCM; thereby demonstrating that these can be two compatible entities.     

Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest –Optimal Management

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has attracted increasing attention over the past years because outcomes have improved impressively lately. The changes for neurological intact outcomes has been poor but several areas have achieved improving survival rates after adjusting their cardiac arrest care. The pre-hospital management is certainly key and decides whether a cardiac arrest patient can be brought back into a spontaneous circulation. However, the whole chain of resuscitation including the in-hospital care have improved also. This review describes aetiologies of OHCA, risk and potential protective factors and recent advances in the pre-hospital and in-hospital management of these patients.     

Solifenacin-induced delirium and hallucinations

Solifenacin-induced cognitive adverse effects have not been reported frequently, but solifenacin-induced delirium and hallucinations with successful switching to darifenacin, without additional drug, have not been reported in the literature. In this case report, we present an 80-year-old Caucasian male with insomnia and anxiety symptoms and overactive bladder who developed delirium and hallucinations when treated with solifenacin and trazodone. After solifenacin discontinuation and switching to darifenacin, symptoms significantly improved immediately. Such a case has not yet been described in literature; however, an adverse effect associated with solifenacin can occur, as this report clearly demonstrates.     

Classic Osborn waves and incessant ventricular fibrillation in severe hypothermia

Abstract

Cardiac arrhythmias in severe hypothermia are common and are managed primarily by re-warming techniques. A 64-year-old male presented with alcohol associated aspiration pneumonia, sepsis and severe hypothermia and was noted to have classic ECG changes of hypothermia, i.e. Osborn waves. The patient had a tumultuous clinical course with prolonged resuscitative measures. Ultimately, an early focus on invasive core temperature re-warming with cardio-pulmonary bypass resulted in a favorable outcome.     

Seat-Belt-Related Injuries to the Supra-Aortic Arteries

Five seat-belt-related injuries occurring in four adults are reported. One injury involved the common carotid artery, two the internal carotid and two the subclavian arteries. Three of the four injured persons were asymptomatic and one had delayed-onset symptoms; none suffered stroke. There was no operative mortality or morbidity. Overall, the functional results of arterial reconstruction were good, with satisfactory patency at follow-up averaging 15 months.     

Sexual dysfunction related to antiepileptic drugs in patients with epilepsy

Introduction: Epilepsy is a common disease that is mostly treated with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). However, the sexual dysfunction (SD) side effects related to the use of AEDs have not received sufficient attention.

Areas covered: The purpose of this review is to examine the current evidence on SD-related side effects of AEDs. The incidence, clinical features and major types of SD are summarized. Furthermore, various AEDs that may cause SDs are addressed in detail. Finally, we briefly summarize the treatments for SD related to AEDs.

Expert opinion: SD related to AEDs is common. Symptoms include erectile dysfunction (ED), hyposexuality, hypersexuality and ejaculatory dysfunction. Traditional AEDs such as valproate and enzyme-inducing AEDs (EIAEDs) may produce high incidences of decreased libido. Recently, sexual function changes related to new AEDs have been reported. Topiramate, pregabalin and gabapentin may cause SD, whereas oxcarbazepine, lamotrigine and levetiracetam may improve sexual function. Although the treatment for SD related to AEDs remains unclear, switching to another AED may be an option. Further studies are necessary to better understand and treat SD related to AEDs.