Abstract 14886: Outcome of Early Surgery in Active Infective Endocarditis in Terms of Intraoperative Valve Culture

Introduction: In recent years, the benefit of early surgery in active infective endocarditis (IE) has been reported. The drawback of early surgery is the risk that residual bacteria in the operative field may cause IE recurrence. Little is known regarding the relationship between intraoperative valve culture and recurrence. In the present study, we investigated the value of early surgery for IE based on the results of valve cultures. Hypothesis: Positive intraoperative valve cultures in early surgery are associated with recurrence. Methods: Between 2009 and 2017, 585 patients underwent valve surgery for definitive left-sided active IE at 14 affiliated hospitals. Early surgery was defined as surgery within 14 days from diagnosis, and patients with unknown valve culture results were excluded. We analyzed the short and mid-term outcome in patients with early surgery (n=228). These 228 patients were compared in two groups: positive (Group P, n=106) and negative (Group N, n=122) valve cultures. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes were recurrence of IE. Mean follow-up time was 2.5±2.8 years. Results: Patients in group P had a significantly higher inflammatory response on preoperative blood tests (White blood cell count: 10.4 (8.3-14.5) vs. 8.2 (6.0-12.7) х10 3 /μl, p=0.005, C-reactive protein: 7.3 (3.8-11.0) vs. 3.8 (2.1-6.8) mg/dl, p<0.001). Patients in group P also had a significantly shorter duration from diagnosis to surgery (2 (1-4) vs. 4 (1-9) days, p<0.001). There was no significant difference in in-hospital mortality between the two groups (13/106 (12%) vs. 11/122 (9%), p=0.43). The overall survival rate at 1 and 5 years was 83% and 69% in group P, 82% and 75% in group N, respectively (p=0.85). The rate of freedom from the recurrence of endocarditis at 1 and 5 years postoperatively was 97% and 82% in group P, and 98% and 92% in group N, respectively (p=0.02). In Cox's hazard analysis, positive valve culture was a risk factor for IE recurrence in multivariate analysis (hazard ratio, 3.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.07 to 10.67; p=0.037). Conclusions: Positive valve culture cases in early surgery for active IE have a significantly increased risk of recurrence compared with valve culture-negative cases and require careful management.

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Surgical Aspects of Recurrent Inguinal Hernia in Adults

The American Surgeon ◽

10.1177/000313481608201120 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 82 (11) ◽

pp. 1063-1067 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Sang Su Lee ◽

Hyuk Jae Jung ◽

Byung Soo Park ◽

Gyung Mo Son ◽

Yong Hoon Cho

Keyword(s):

Inguinal Hernia ◽

Primary Repair ◽

Recurrent Hernia ◽

Recurrent Inguinal Hernia ◽

Inguinal Herniorrhaphy ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Surgical Aspects ◽

The Relationship

Surgeons occasionally encounter a case of recurrent hernia in adult patients after the primary repair, and these cases are challenging to manage appropriately. This study was conducted to describe the clinical nature of recurrent inguinal hernia, compare the results of management, and identify the relationship between the specific risk factors and the occurrence of recurrent hernia. Retrospectively reviewed 58 patients who underwent the inguinal herniorrhaphy for recurrent hernia in a single institution. Analyzed clinical characteristics of recurrent hernia and tried to verify the relationship between smoking, obesity, and occurrence of recurrent hernia. Recurrent inguinal hernia was 13.5 per cent of all hernia repairs in the study period. Most of the recurrence was the first event (74.1%) and showed an interval to recurrence with a mean duration of 40.7 months. There was no significant difference in procedure time, development of postoperative complications, and duration of hospital stay according to the procedure. Compromise of smoker and overweight was significantly higher in the recurrent group (P < 0.05). Surgeons should be aware of the increased risk for recurrence in adult inguinal hernia patients when they smoke or are overweight (body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2), also it needs to follow-up during the adequate period.

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Galectin-3 and acute heart failure: genetic polymorphisms, plasma level, myocardial fibrosis and 1-year outcomes

Biomarkers in Medicine ◽

10.2217/bmm-2020-0269 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 (11) ◽

pp. 943-954

Author(s):

Hao Fu ◽

Shaoping Nie ◽

Ping Luo ◽

Yang Ruan ◽

Zichuan Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Acute Heart Failure ◽

Myocardial Fibrosis ◽

Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽

Single Nucleotide ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Galectin 3 ◽

The Relationship

Aim: This study sought to investigate the relationship between galectin-3 (Gal-3), myocardial fibrosis (MF) and outcomes in acute heart failure. Materials & methods: The single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of LGALS3 at rs4644 and rs4652, plasma Gal-3 level, MF and major adverse events (MAEs) were obtained. Results: There was no significant difference in MAEs when categorizing patients by the LGALS3 SNPs at rs4644 and rs4652. The circulating Gal-3 was related to the degree of MF (p < 0.001). Plasma Gal-3 level and MF can predict an increased risk of MAEs (p < 0.001, p = 0.023, respectively). Conclusion: Not the SNPs of LGALS3 but Gal-3 and MF can predict MAEs in acute heart failure at 1 year of follow-up.

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Neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio predicts short-term outcome of COVID-19 in haemodialysis patients

Clinical Kidney Journal ◽

10.1093/ckj/sfaa194 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Prisca Mutinelli-Szymanski ◽

Iulia Hude ◽

Emilie Merle ◽

Yannis Lombardi ◽

Pascal Seris ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cox Regression ◽

Term Outcome ◽

Multicentric Study ◽

Reactive Protein ◽

Kaplan Meier ◽

Hazard Ratios ◽

Increased Risk ◽

And Biological Markers ◽

Dialysis Facilities

Abstract Background Information regarding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in haemodialysis (HD) patients is limited and early studies suggest a poor outcome. We aimed to identify clinical and biological markers associated with severe forms of COVID-19 in HD patients. Methods We conducted a prospective, observational and multicentric study. Sixty-two consecutive adult HD patients with confirmed COVID-19 from four dialysis facilities in Paris, France, from 19 March to 19 May 2020 were included. Blood tests were performed before diagnosis and at Days 7 and 14 after diagnosis. Severe forms of COVID-19 were defined as requiring oxygen therapy, admission in an intensive care unit or death. Cox regression models were used to compute adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs). Kaplan–Meier curves and log-rank tests were used for survival analysis. Results Twenty-eight patients (45%) displayed severe forms of COVID-19. Compared with non-severe forms, these patients had more fever (93% versus 56%, P < 0.01), cough (71% versus 38%, P = 0.02) and dyspnoea (43% versus 6%, P < 0.01) at diagnosis. At Day 7 post-diagnosis, neutrophil counts, neutrophil:lymphocyte (N:L) ratio, C-reactive protein, ferritin, fibrinogen and lactate dehydrogenase levels were significantly higher in severe COVID-19 patients. Multivariate analysis revealed an N:L ratio >3.7 was the major marker associated with severe forms, with an aHR of 4.28 (95% confidence interval 1.52–12.0; P = 0.006). After a median follow-up time of 48 days (range 27–61), six patients with severe forms died (10%). Conclusions HD patients are at increased risk of severe forms of COVID-19. An elevated N:L ratio at Day 7 was highly associated with the severe forms. Assessing the N:L ratio could inform clinicians for early treatment decisions.

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The relationship between marital and parental status and the risk of dementia

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610213002652 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 26 (5) ◽

pp. 749-757 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Anna Sundström ◽

Olle Westerlund ◽

Hossein Mousavi-Nasab ◽

Rolf Adolfsson ◽

Lars-Göran Nilsson

Keyword(s):

Cox Regression ◽

Population Based ◽

Combined Effect ◽

Parental Status ◽

Incident Dementia ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Relationship ◽

Dementia Diseases

ABSTRACTBackground:This study examines the association between marital and parental status and their individual and combined effect on risk of dementia diseases in a population-based longitudinal study while controlling for a range of potential confounders, including social networks and exposure to stressful negative life events.Methods:A total of 1,609 participants without dementia, aged 65 years and over, were followed for an average period of 8.6 years (SD = 4.8). During follow-up, 354 participants were diagnosed with dementia. Cox regression was used to investigate the effect of marital and parental status on risk of dementia.Results:In univariate Cox regression models (adjusted for age as time scale), widowed (hazard ratio (HR) 1.42, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.13–1.78), and not having children (HR 1.54, 95% CI = 1.15–2.06) were significantly associated with incident dementia. In multivariate analyses that included simultaneously marital and parental status and covariates that were found to be significant in univariate models (p < 0.10), the HR was 1.30 (95% CI = 1.01–1.66) for widowed, and 1.51 (95% CI = 1.08–2.10) for those not having children. Finally, a group of four combined factors was constructed: married parents (reference), married without children, widowed parents, and widowed without children. The combined effect revealed a 1.3 times higher risk (95% CI = 1.03–1.76) of dementia in widow parents, and a 2.2 times higher risk (95% CI = 1.36–3.60) in widowed persons without children, in relation to married parents. No significant difference was observed for those being married and without children.Conclusions:Our findings suggest that marital- and parental status are important risk factors for developing dementia, with especially increased risk in those being both widowed and without children.

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Relationship between Thyroglobulin and Tumor Detectabilily with Thallium-201 in Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

Nuklearmedizin ◽

10.1055/s-0038-1632238 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 39 (01) ◽

pp. 10-15 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

S. P. Müller ◽

Ch. Reiners ◽

A. Bockisch ◽

Katja Brandt-Mainz

Keyword(s):

Thyroid Cancer ◽

Differentiated Thyroid Cancer ◽

Roc Analysis ◽

Tsh Suppression ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Test Specificity ◽

The Relationship ◽

Tumor Scintigraphy ◽

Tsh Stimulation

Summary Aim: Tumor scintigraphy with 201-TICI is an established diagnostic method in the follow-up of differentiated thyroid cancer. We investigated the relationship between thyroglobulin (Tg) level and tumor detectability. Subject and methods: We analyzed the scans of 122 patients (66 patients with proven tumor). The patient population was divided into groups with Tg above (N = 33) and below (N = 33) 5 ng/ml under TSH suppression or above (N = 33) and below (N = 33) 50 ng/ml under TSH stimulation. Tumor detectability was compared by ROC-analysis (True-Positive-Fraction test, specificity 90%). Results: There was no significant difference (sensitivity 75% versus 64%; p = 0.55) for patients above and below 5 ng/ml under TSH suppression and a just significant difference (sensitivity 80% versus 58%; p = 0.04) for patients above and below 50 ng/ml under TSH stimulation. In 18 patients from our sample with tumor, Tg under TSH suppression was negative, but 201-TICI-scan was able to detect tumor in 12 patients. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate only a moderate dependence of tumor detectability on Tg level, probably without significant clinical relevance. Even in patients with slight Tg elevation 201-TICI scintigraphy is justified.

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Acute Dental Periapical Abscess and New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation: A Nationwide, Population-Based Cohort Study

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10132927 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (13) ◽

pp. 2927

Author(s):

Amaar Obaid Hassan ◽

Gregory Y. H. Lip ◽

Arnaud Bisson ◽

Julien Herbert ◽

Alexandre Bodin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Multivariable Analysis ◽

National Database ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Periapical Abscess ◽

The Relationship ◽

Onset Atrial Fibrillation ◽

New Onset

There are limited data on the relationship of acute dental infections with hospitalisation and new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF). This study aimed to assess the relationship between acute periapical abscess and incident AF. This was a retrospective cohort study from a French national database of patients hospitalized in 2013 (3.4 million patients) with at least five years of follow up. In total, 3,056,291 adults (55.1% female) required hospital admission in French hospitals in 2013 while not having a history of AF. Of 4693 patients classified as having dental periapical abscess, 435 (9.27%) developed AF, compared to 326,241 (10.69%) without dental periapical abscess that developed AF over a mean follow-up of 4.8 ± 1.7 years. Multivariable analysis indicated that dental periapical abscess acted as an independent predictor for new onset AF (p < 0.01). The CHA2DS2VASc score in patients with acute dental periapical abscess had moderate predictive value for development of AF, with Area Under the Curve (AUC) 0.73 (95% CI, 0.71–0.76). An increased risk of new onset AF was identified for individuals hospitalized with dental periapical abscess. Careful follow up of patients with severe, acute dental periapical infections is needed for incident AF, as well as investigations of possible mechanisms linking these conditions.

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The Relationship between Serum Ferritin Levels and 5-Year All-Cause Mortality in Hemodialysis Patients

Blood Purification ◽

10.1159/000515639 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Emre Erdem ◽

Ahmet Karatas ◽

Tevfik Ecder

Keyword(s):

Serum Ferritin ◽

Hemodialysis Patients ◽

Rank Test ◽

Significant Difference ◽

All Cause Mortality ◽

Group 3 ◽

Group 2 ◽

The Relationship ◽

Group 1

Introduction: The effect of high serum ferritin levels on long-term mortality in hemodialysis patients is unknown. The relationship between serum ferritin levels and 5-year all-cause mortality in hemodialysis patients was investigated in this study. Methods: A total of 173 prevalent hemodialysis patients were included in this study. The patients were followed for up to 5 years and divided into 3 groups according to time-averaged serum ferritin levels (group 1: serum ferritin <800 ng/mL, group 2: serum ferritin 800–1,500 ng/mL, and group 3: serum ferritin >1,500 ng/mL). Along with the serum ferritin levels, other clinical and laboratory variables that may affect mortality were also included in the Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis. Results: Eighty-one (47%) patients died during the 5-year follow-up period. The median follow-up time was 38 (17.5–60) months. The 5-year survival rates of groups 1, 2, and 3 were 44, 64, and 27%, respectively. In group 3, the survival was lower than in groups 1 and 2 (log-rank test, p = 0.002). In group 1, the mortality was significantly lower than in group 3 (HR [95% CI]: 0.16 [0.05–0.49]; p = 0.001). In group 2, the mortality was also lower than in group 3 (HR [95% CI]: 0.32 [0.12–0.88]; p = 0.026). No significant difference in mortality between groups 1 and 2 was found (HR [95% CI]: 0.49 [0.23–1.04]; p = 0.063). Conclusion: Time-averaged serum ferritin levels >1,500 ng/mL in hemodialysis patients are associated with an increased 5-year all-cause mortality risk.

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Elevated plasma growth and differentiation factor 15 predicts incident anemia in older adults aged 60 years and older

The Journals of Gerontology Series A ◽

10.1093/gerona/glaa324 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Yuko Yamaguchi ◽

Marta Zampino ◽

Toshiko Tanaka ◽

Stefania Bandinelli ◽

Yusuke Osawa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Differentiation Factor ◽

Hazards Model ◽

Increased Risk ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Background Anemia is common in older adults and associated with greater morbidity and mortality. The causes of anemia in older adults have not been completely characterized. Although elevated circulating growth and differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) has been associated with anemia in older adults, it is not known whether elevated GDF-15 predicts the development of anemia. Methods We examined the relationship between plasma GDF-15 concentrations at baseline in 708 non-anemic adults, aged 60 years and older, with incident anemia during 15 years of follow-up among participants in the Invecchiare in Chianti (InCHIANTI) Study. Results During follow-up, 179 (25.3%) participants developed anemia. The proportion of participants who developed anemia from the lowest to highest quartile of plasma GDF-15 was 12.9%, 20.1%, 21.2%, and 45.8%, respectively. Adults in the highest quartile of plasma GDF-15 had an increased risk of developing anemia (Hazards Ratio 1.15, 95% Confidence Interval 1.09, 1.21, P<.0001) compared to those in the lower three quartiles in a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model adjusting for age, sex, serum iron, soluble transferrin receptor, ferritin, vitamin B12, congestive heart failure, diabetes mellitus, and cancer. Conclusions Circulating GDF-15 is an independent predictor for the development of anemia in older adults.

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Quantitative Breast Density in Contrast-Enhanced Mammography

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10153309 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (15) ◽

pp. 3309

Author(s):

Gisella Gennaro ◽

Melissa L. Hill ◽

Elisabetta Bezzon ◽

Francesca Caumo

Keyword(s):

Breast Density ◽

Potential Role ◽

Multiple Correlation Coefficient ◽

Low Energy ◽

Coefficient Of Determination ◽

Contrast Enhanced ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Automatic Software ◽

The Relationship

Contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) demonstrates a potential role in personalized screening models, in particular for women at increased risk and women with dense breasts. In this study, volumetric breast density (VBD) measured in CEM images was compared with VBD obtained from digital mammography (DM) or tomosynthesis (DBT) images. A total of 150 women who underwent CEM between March 2019 and December 2020, having at least a DM/DBT study performed before/after CEM, were included. Low-energy CEM (LE-CEM) and DM/DBT images were processed with automatic software to obtain the VBD. VBDs from the paired datasets were compared by Wilcoxon tests. A multivariate regression model was applied to analyze the relationship between VBD differences and multiple independent variables certainly or potentially affecting VBD. Median VBD was comparable for LE-CEM and DM/DBT (12.73% vs. 12.39%), not evidencing any statistically significant difference (p = 0.5855). VBD differences between LE-CEM and DM were associated with significant differences of glandular volume, breast thickness, compression force and pressure, contact area, and nipple-to-posterior-edge distance, i.e., variables reflecting differences in breast positioning (coefficient of determination 0.6023; multiple correlation coefficient 0.7761). Volumetric breast density was obtained from low-energy contrast-enhanced spectral mammography and was not significantly different from volumetric breast density measured from standard mammograms.

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Risk of infective endocarditis among patients with tetralogy of fallot

European Heart Journal ◽

10.1093/ehjci/ehaa946.2171 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽

Author(s):

E Havers-Borgersen ◽

J.H Butt ◽

M Groening ◽

M Smerup ◽

G.H Gislason ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Infective Endocarditis ◽

Tetralogy Of Fallot ◽

Valve Replacement ◽

Pulmonary Valve ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Pulmonary Valve Replacement ◽

Varying Coefficients ◽

Background Population ◽

Increased Risk

Abstract Introduction Patients with tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) are considered at high risk of infective endocarditis (IE) as a result of altered hemodynamics and multiple surgical and interventional procedures including pulmonary valve replacement (PVR). The overall survival of patients with ToF has increased in recent years. However, data on the risk of adverse outcomes including IE are sparse. Purpose To investigate the risk of IE in patients with ToF compared with controls from the background population. Methods In this nationwide observational cohort study, all patients with ToF born in 1977–2017 were identified using Danish nationwide registries and followed from date of birth until occurrence of an outcome of interest (i.e. first-time IE), death, or end of study (July 31, 2017). The comparative risk of IE among ToF patients versus age- and sex-matched controls from the background population was assessed. Results A total of 1,156 patients with ToF were identified and matched with 4,624 controls from the background population. Among patients with ToF, 266 (23.0%) underwent PVR during follow-up. During a median follow-up time of 20.4 years, 38 (3.3%) patients and 1 (0.03%) control were admitted with IE. The median time from date of birth to IE was 10.8 years (25th-75th percentile 2.8–20.9 years). The incidence rates of IE per 1,000 person-years were 2.2 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6–3.0) and 0.01 (95% CI 0.0001–0.1) among patients and controls, respectively. In multivariable Cox regression models, in which age, sex, pulmonary valve replacement, and relevant comorbidities (i.e. chronic renal failure, diabetes mellitus, presence of cardiac implantable electronic devices, other valve surgeries), were included as time-varying coefficients, the risk of IE was significantly higher among patients compared with controls (HR 171.5, 95% CI 23.2–1266.7). Moreover, PVR was associated with an increased risk of IE (HR 3.4, 95% CI 1.4–8.2). Conclusions Patients with ToF have a substantial risk of IE and the risk is significantly higher compared with the background population. In particular, PVR was associated with an increased risk of IE. With an increasing life-expectancy of these patients, intensified awareness, preventive measures, and surveillance of this patient group are advisable. Figure 1. Cumulative incidence of IE Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

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