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Background: Pulmonary embolism (PE) severity index (PESI) well predicts 30-day mortality in acute PE patients, yet improvements have been advocated. ----- Objectives: To evaluate predictivity of the red cell distribution width (RDW) through a comparison with PESI and to explore their interaction as a potential improvement in this respect. ----- Methods: Retrospective analysis of consecutive adult PE patients. ----- Results: Of the 299 patients, 19 severely unstable died within 48 h. Among the stabilized patients, 30-day mortality was 12.1% (34/280). With PESI ≤125, mortality was 4.9% (9/185), but it was 0.7% (1/140) if RDW ≤15.0% and 17.8% (8/45) if RDW >15.0%; with PESI >125, mortality was 26.3% (25/95), but it was 15.9% (7/44) if RDW ≤15.0% and 35.3% (18/51) if RDW >15.0%. Adjusted relative risk with PESI >125 vs. ≤125 was 17.5 (95%CI 2.37-129) at RDW ≤15.0% and 1.60 (0.76-3.36) at RDW >15.0%. ----- Conclusions: Thirty-day mortality predictions based on the PESI score may be improved by accounting for RDW. more...

Aim To compare the overall and disease-specific mortality of Croatian male athletes who won one or more Olympic medals representing Yugoslavia from 1948 to 1988 or Croatia from 1992 to 2016, and the general Croatian male population standardized by age and time period. Methods All 233 Croatian male Olympic medalists were included in the study. Information on life duration and cause of death for the Olympic medalists who died before January 1, 2017, was acquired from their families and acquaintances. We asked the families and acquaintances to present medical documentation for the deceased. Data about the overall and disease-specific mortality of the Croatian male population standardized by age and time period were obtained from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Overall and disease-specific standard mortality ratios (SMR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to compare the mortality rates of athletes and general population. Results Among 233 Olympic medalists, 57 died before the study endpoint. The main causes of death were cardiovascular diseases (33.3%), neoplasms (26.3%), and external causes (17.6%). The overall mortality of the Olympic medalists was significantly lower than that of general population (SMR 0.73, 95% CI 0.56-0.94, P = 0.013). Regarding specific causes of death, athletes’ mortality from cardiovascular diseases was significantly reduced (SMR 0.61, 95% CI 0.38-0.93, P = 0.021). Conclusions Croatian male Olympic medalists benefit from lower overall and cardiovascular mortality rates in comparison to the general Croatian male population. more...

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Patients with CKD who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) may have more ischemic events than patients without CKD. The aim of our study was to determine the incidence of periprocedural myocardial injury (PMI) after elective stent implantation in patients with CKD using the Third Joint ESC/ACCF/AHA/WHF PMI definition.In a single center prospective cohort study, we enrolled 344 consecutive patients who underwent elective PCI in a period of 39 months. Serum troponin I (cTnI) concentrations were measured at baseline and at 8 and 16 hours after PCI. Periprocedural increase of cTnI, according to the most recent PMI definition, was used to define both the presence and intensity of PMI. Patients were further stratified according to the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) using 4 variable Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation: control group with eGFR >90 mL/min/1.73 m and the CKD group with eGFR 90 mL/min/1.73 m) and the CKD group ( more...

Introduction: Lidocaine is an essential drug used as a local anesthetic and as antiarrhythmic medication of the class Ib type. There are multiple reports in literature that lidocaine can cause coronary artery spasm both in vitro and in vivo1, 2. Elevation of the ST-segment is described during dental or neurosurgical procedures using locoregional lidocaine anesthesia2, 3. We present a case in which intra-articular lidocaine instillation caused a vasospastic ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Case: A 49-year-old male patient presented to the emergency clinic with chest pain that had begun an hour ago. The pain occurred at rest, was independent of exertion and radiated to the left arm. Previously that morning, he was at the surgical outpatient clinic due to a chronic knee condition where he underwent punction and intra-articular instillation of 100mg lidocaine. The chest pain started 30 minutes after the procedure. The patient had never experienced chest pain or intolerance of exertion before. Previous medical history was notable for well-controlled arterial hypertension, without any family history of coronary artery disease. He previously received lidocaine anesthesia without complications and had no known allergies. There was 1mm elevation in leads II, III, aVF and inferior STEMI was diagnosed (Figure 1). The patient was transferred to the catheterization laboratory for primary percutaneous coronary intervention. The coronary arteriography was without any evidence of Bojana Gardijan*, Matija Marković, Darko Počanić, Tomislav Letilović University Hospital Merkur, Zagreb, Croatia KEYWORDS: ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, lidocaine, vasospasm. CITATION: Cardiol Croat. 2016 ; 11(3-4):97-98. | DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15836/ccar2016.97 *ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE: Bojana Gardijan, Klinička bolnica Merkur, Zajčeva 19, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia. / Phone: +385-98-1650-393 / E-mail: bojana.gardijan@gmail.com ORCID: Bojana Gardijan, http://orcid.org/0000- 0002-1768-2277 • Matija Marković, http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2852-3730 Darko Počanić, http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3257- 110X • Tomislav Letilović, http://orcid.org/0000- 0003-1229-7983 A case of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction due to intra-articular lidocaine instillation Extended Abstract ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROME RECEIVED: February 9, 2016 ACCEPTED: February 20, 2016 FIGURE 1. The 12-lead electrocardiogram recording on admission showing discrete ST-segment elevation in inferior leads. Cardiologia Croatica 2016 ; 11(3-4):98. VII. nacionalni sastanak o kardiovaskularnim intervencijama s međunarodnim sudjelovanjem VI. sastanak intervencijskih kardioloških medicinskih sestara i tehničara stenosis (Figure 2). The patient received protocol STEMI care. Echocardiography showed no abnormalities or regional wall motion abnormalities. The initial high-sensitivity cardiac-specific troponin I was beneath the value of detection, with the peak value on the second day of stay, 4678.3 ng/L (reference value more...

ygomicosis is a fungal disease caused by fungi from the Zygomycota order that are usually airborne spread, with pulmonary and rhinocerebral involvement being the most common. Once in the bloodstream, spores tend to accumulate in vascular tissues leading to thrombosis, infarction, and necrosis of involved tissues. In immunocompromised patients, such as those with hemophagocytic syndrome, zygomicosis is frequently characterized by fulminant disseminated disease, with a 80% mortality rate. We present a 45-year old patient with hemophagocytic syndrome who was treated with steroids, etoposide, and cyclosporine. Two months after the initial treatment, the patient was admitted for a respiratory infection, and was treated with antibiotics and antiviral drugs with a good clinical and laboratory response to the therapy. On the tenth day there was a sudden clinical deterioration with signs of left-sided heart failure, elevated troponin levels, and ECG showing a complete AV block. Right-sided hemiparesis and elevated inflammatory parameters were also present. A temporary pacemaker was placed. A brain MDCT was performed and multiple ischemic and hemorrhagic lesions were found. Emergency echocardiography study showed a semi-mobile, peduncular mass in the left ventricle. It originated from the anterior mitral leaflet, measuring 4x2 cm and protruding to the LV cavity. There were no disorders of myocardial contractility, and ejection fraction was 60% (Figure 1). Echocardiographic features of the mass resembled a myxoma. The patient died three hours later from multiple organ dysfunc- tion syndrome. Autopsy showed disseminated zygomicosis infecting the heart with a mycotic mass in left ventricle. The leptomeninges, brain, and lungs were also infected. Primary heart tumors are rare, accounting for 0.0017-0.19% on unselected biopsies. In immunocompromised patients with a new heart mass, a mycotic mass as a sign of disseminated mycosis should be considered before a primary heart tumor in order to start appropriate treatment. Mortality of patients with disseminated zygomycosis and heart mass is very high and survival is only possible with a combined surgical and antimicrobial approach. The diagnosis of disseminated zygomycosis was considered however due to the patient’s abrupt clinical deterioration, and fulminant course cardiothoracic treatment could not to be arranged. more...

Gaucher’s disease (GD) has variable presentations, but cardiac involvement is a generally uncommon clinical manifestation of the disease. In the past 25 years, the underlying genetic disorder in GD has been well characterized, with almost 300 mutations identified in the glucocerebrosidase gene (GBA). Nevertheless, clear genotype-phenotype correlations have been confirmed only for the most frequent mutations. We present a female patient, who was known to have aortic valve pathology from the age of 30. Despite medical follow up, at the age of 60 she presented with heart failure (NYHA III). At that time echocardiography showed severe fibrosed aortic valve stenosis. Valvuloplasty was planned, when thrombocytopenia, previously considered to be autoimmune, became severe. Anemia and leukopenia were also noted. Moderate splenomegaly and severe bone marrow infiltration were found on MRI. Bone marrow aspiration revealed typical Gaucher cells and the enzyme activity assay confirmed the diagnosis. DNA investigation showed that the patient is homozygous for the G377S mutation. To our knowledge, of all mutations identified so far, only homozygosity for the D409H mutation has been associated with cardiovascular valvular disease in patients with a rare type 3c GD. G377S, found in our patient, is a rare mutation, previously reported as a 'mild’ mutation, because of the finding that homoallelic patients were essentialy asymptomatic or had mild disease. Our patient, also homozygous for G377S mutation, had a severe form of type 1 GD, with rare cardiac valve involvement, which is a previously unreported clinical presentation for this mutation. This case further proves that patients with the same genotypes can have different phenotypes, emphasizing the influence of other genetic and/or environmental factors. more...

Background Cachexia is a state of involuntary weight loss common to many chronic diseases. Experimental data, showing that cachexia is related to the enhancement of acute phase response reaction, led to the new definition of cachexia that included, aside from the principal criterion of weight loss, other “minor criteria”, Amongst them are levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin and hemoglobin. However, there is paucity of data regarding possible differences of these laboratory parameters in patients with various diseases known to be related to cachexia. Methods CRP, albumin and hemoglobin were evaluated in 119 patients, divided into two disease groups, hematological (ones with diagnosis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma or Hodgkin disease) and non-hematological (solid tumor patients and patients with chronic heart failure). Patients were further subdivided into two nutritional groups, cachectic and non-cachectic ones according to the principal criterion for cacxehia i.e. loss of body weight. Results We found that cachectic patients had higher levels of CRP, and lower levels of both hemoglobin and albumin compared to non-cachectic patients, regardless of the disease group they fitted. On the other hand, the group of hematological patients had lower levels of CRP primarily due to the differences found in the non-cachectic group. Higher levels of albumin were also found in the hematological group regardless of the nutritional group they fitted. Limitations of cut-off values, proposed by definition, were found, mostly regarding their relatively low sensitivity and low negative predictive value. Conclusions As expected, differences in values of routine laboratory parameters used in definition of cachexia were found between cachectic and non-cachectic patients. Their values differed between hematological and non-hematological patients both in cachectic and non-cachectic group. Cut-off levels currently used in definition of cachexia have limitations and should be further evaluated. more...