1/15. ED identification of cardiac septal abscess using conduction block on ECG.A case of cardiac septal abscess in a patient with a porcine bioprosthetic aortic valve who gradually developed a complete atrioventricular block on successive electrocardiograms (ECG) is reported. Emergency physicians should consider endocarditis with septal abscess in a patient with a prosthetic heart valve who presents with fever and a new conduction defect on ECG.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/15. Gram-Negative anaerobic endocarditis: two case reports and review of the literature.The rarity of anaerobic gram-negative endocarditis limits the ability of physicians to define its prognosis. Two cases of endocarditis due to Bacteroidesfragilis are described, and a review of the English literature for all cases of anaerobic gram-negative endocarditis reported since 1940 is presented. The disease predominantly affects males. Clinical features are similar to those of endocarditis due to nonanaerobic organisms, but underlying heart disease is less common and the rate of thromboembolic complications is high. All deaths reported were due to bacteroides spp.; no deaths due to fusobacterium spp. have been reported. Treatment with metronidazole has dramatically improved the prognosis of patients with endocarditis due to anaerobic gram-negative bacilli.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/15. aspergillus flavus endocarditis--to prevaricate is to posture.Fungal endocarditis represents both a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to the treating team. The critical care physician will see a rising incidence as older and more immuno-compromised patients are being supported in their intensive care units. Aspergillus sp. endocarditis represents less than 25% of all cases of fungal endocarditis and is associated with a mortality of around 80%. early diagnosis may assist with definitive management. We review a case of Aspergillus endocarditis, and review the literature as to optimal methods of detection, imaging modalities of choice, and management, both surgical and medical.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/15. Imaging infection with 18F-FDG-labeled leukocyte PET/CT: initial experience in 21 patients.The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and the potential role of PET/CT with (18)F-FDG-labeled autologous leukocytes in the diagnosis and localization of infectious lesions. methods: Twenty-one consecutive patients with suspected or documented infection were prospectively evaluated with whole-body PET/CT 3 h after injection of autologous (18)F-FDG-labeled leukocytes. Two experienced nuclear medicine physicians who were unaware of the clinical end-diagnosis reviewed all PET/CT studies. A visual score (0-3)-according to uptake intensity-was used to assess studies. The results of PET/CT with (18)F-FDG-labeled white blood cell ((18)F-FDG-WBC) assessment were compared with histologic or biologic diagnosis in 15 patients and with clinical end-diagnosis after complete clinical work-up in 6 patients. RESULTS: Nine patients had fever of unknown etiology, 6 patients had documented infection but with unknown extension of the infectious disease, 4 patients had a documented infection with unfavorable evolution, and 2 patients had a documented infection with known extension. The best trade-off between sensitivity and specificity was obtained when a visual score of >or=2 was chosen to identify increased tracer uptake as infection. With this threshold, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were each 86% on a patient-per-patient basis and 91%, 85%, and 90% on a lesion-per-lesion basis. In this small group of patients, the absence of areas with increased WBC uptake on WBC PET/CT had a 100% negative predictive value. CONCLUSION: Hybrid (18)F-FDG-WBC PET/CT was found to have a high sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of infection. It located infectious lesions with a high precision. In this small series, absence of areas with increased uptake virtually ruled out the presence of infection. (18)F-FDG-WBC PET/CT for infection detection deserves further investigation in a larger prospective series.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/15. Valve replacement in endocarditis: setting limits in noncompliant intravenous drug abusers.An intravenous (IV) drug abuser underwent repeated valve replacements because of recurrent infective endocarditis. Is it ethically permissible to withhold valve surgery in a recalcitrant, noncompliant IV drug abuser? We believe so, and in our analysis, discuss the principles of futility, rationing, personal responsibility, and justice. Because of her continued drug abuse, the patient is responsible and accountable for the medical consequences. The consequences are that physicians will not be able to provide her with beneficial treatments without disproportionate harm, and that society will no longer be able to provide resources for her treatment without unfairly jeopardizing the availability of resources for other members of society. Although valve surgery does not constitute futile treatment, maximizing and egalitarian principles of societal justice support the withholding of such an expensive intervention. The patient should be jointly evaluated by the physician, social worker, and psychiatrist. The medical team will emphasize patient compliance and willingness to undergo drug rehabilitation, and will offer the first valve replacement. The recidivist abuser with demonstrable non-compliance who sustains a second episode of endocarditis need not be offered another valve. To avoid bedside rationing, we recommend the formulation of such a policy by nations and professional bodies.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/15. Non-lyme disease.Four syndromes of non-lyme disease are described on the basis of the history and serologic test result. Recognition of non-lyme disease enables the physician to avoid unnecessary treatment and to keep considering the possibility of alternative diagnoses.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/15. Unexpected death as a result of infective endocarditis.Thirteen cases of infective endocarditis (IE) diagnosed for the first time at autopsy or, in those patients with a previous diagnosis of IE, not thought to be active at the time of death, are presented. Of the six patients who died within 24 h of the onset of symptoms, two died of obstruction of a valve orifice, two died of sepsis, one died of sepsis and alcoholic cardiomyopathy, and one died of a coronary artery embolus. Of the five patients with symptoms lasting more than 24 h, three died of sepsis and congestive heart failure. One died from sepsis alone and one died from congestive heart failure (CHF). In two patients whose duration of symptoms is unknown, one died of sepsis and CHF, and in the other the mechanism of death is unknown. Predisposing factors present in 11 of 13 patients included alcoholism (three), intravenous (IV) drug abuse (three), prosthetic valves (three), aortic stenosis (two), past rheumatic fever (one), and nonstenotic congenitally bicuspid valves (two). The reasons for no antemortem diagnosis were a missed or incorrect clinical diagnosis in three patients seen by a physician shortly before death, no signs or symptoms or found dead (four), non-specific signs and symptoms (three), refusal of medical treatment (one), and a solitary lifestyle (one); there was insufficient information about one patient. Individuals with needle tracks, generalized petechiae. Osler's nodes, splinter hemorrhages, intravenous catheters, pacemaker wires, and infected aortic-valve (A-V) shunts are at risk of IE. blood and the vegetations should be cultured. The attending physician should be notified of the diagnosis in such cases.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/15. pseudomonas infections associated with hot tubs and other environments.Infections due to pseudomonas aeruginosa are not confined to the hospital intensive care unit. This paper examines the association of P. aeruginosa and several community-acquired infections. Hot tub folliculitis is a recently described disorder occurring in outbreaks among persons who unknowingly immerse themselves in contaminated whirlpools, spas, or swimming pools. The green nail syndrome and other dermatoses are also reviewed. Infective endocarditis, invasive external otitis, and puncture would osteomyelitis are serious infections that carry high risks for the patient and challenge the physician's most potent therapies.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/15. Echocardiographic diagnosis of ruptured aortic valve leaflet in bacterial endocarditis.aortic valve rupture, secondary to aortic valve endocarditis, was diagnosed echocardiographically and closely followed preoperatively. The ruptured left coronary cusp of the aortic valve was seen as dense irregular echoes, located anteriorly during ventricular diastole, and protruding into the left ventricular outflow tract in an otherwise normally appearing aortic valve. These echocardiographic findings, when correlated with changes in the clinical status of the patient, prompted immediate cardiac catheterization and aortic valve replacement. Early echocardiographic detection of abnormal aortic cusps and variation from normal aortic root echo features should alert the physician to proceed to cardiac catheterization, and aortic valve replacement if necessary.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/15. Group C beta-hemolytic streptococcal endocarditis: report of a pediatric case.A 9-year-old boy with a ventricular septal defect and a bicuspid aortic valve developed bacterial endocarditis due to group C streptococci. He responded to an initial antibiotic regimen of nafcillin plus gentamicin and was cured by the use of penicillin g following the isolation of the organism. The unusual nature of this case is discussed and physicians are cautioned to recognize this organism as a potential cause of infectious endocarditis in the pediatric population.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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