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Introduction: Despite advances in prevention, medical, and surgical treatment, the global prevalence of infective endocarditis (IE) has been gradually rising over the last two decades. However, the profile of IE varies by continent, geographic region, and hospital type. In this study, we aimed to investigate the epidemiological and clinical features of IE and to determine the factors predicting in-hospital mortality. Patients and Methods: This retrospective study was carried out at a single tertiary health care hospital in Türkiye. A total of 104 consecutive patients (>18 years old) who were hospitalized with IE between January 2016 and August 2021 were included. Modified Duke criteria were used to diagnose IE. Demographic information (age and gender), underlying heart diseases, comorbidities, causative microorganisms, blood culture results, echocardiographic findings, cardiac and extracardiac complications, surgical requirements, and in-hospital mortality were all examined. Results: The study included 104 IE cases (mean age: 57.2 ± 15.9 years; 59.6% males). Fifty-six patients (53.9%) had native valve IE, 37 patients (35.6%) had prosthetic valve IE, and four patients (3.8%) had devicerelated IE. Blood cultures were negative in 62 cases (59.6%). Staphylococcus aureus was the most common responsible microorganism in 17 patients [methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus in 13 (12.5%), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus in four (3.8%)]. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 30.8%. White blood cell count (OR= 1.002, 95% CI= 1.001-1.003) creatinine (OR= 1.45, 95% CI= 1.08-2.00), acute renal failure (OR= 8.60, 95% CI= 2.27-37.81), and cerebrovascular accidents (OR= 4.58, 95% CI= 1.21-18.85) were independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. Conclusion: In line with developed countries, the epidemiology and causative pathogens of IE in Türkiye have been changing. Investigating these epidemiological and clinical changes may serve as a basis for strategies to be developed for the prevention and treatment of IE.

No study has thus far evaluated the association of controlling nutritional status (CO NUT) score and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) with prognosis in candidates listed for heart transplantation (HT). Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of these nutritional indices on prognosis in these candidates.In this retrospective study, a total of 195 candidates for HT were included. Over a median follow-up period of 503.5 days, the patients were grouped as survivors (n=121) and non-survivors (n = 74). Malnutrition was defined as CONUT score ≥2 (CONUT-defined malnu trition) and PNI ≤38 (PNI-defined malnutrition).The CONUT-defined malnutrition was observed in 19.8% and 39.2% of the survivors and non-survivors (P = .003), and the PNI-defined malnutrition was observed in 7.4% and 16.2% of the survivors and non-survivors (P = .032). The univariate analysis revealed that the CONUT score from 0 to 2 (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.41, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.11-1.79, P =.004) and PNI from 45.5 to 54.5 (HR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.64-0.95, P = .001), the CONUT-defined malnutrition (HR: 2.48, 95% CI: 1.55-3.97, P.001) and the PNI-defined malnutrition (HR: 1.97, 95% CI: 1.01-3.86, P = .04) were associated with mortality. In the multivariate adjusted models, the CO NUT-defined malnutrition was an independent predictor of mortality, whereas the PNI-defined malnutrition was not a predictor of mortality (HR: 1.92, 95% CI: 1.12-3.27, P = .001 and HR: 1.64, 95% CI: 0.80-3.40, P = .18). The log-rank test revealed that the CONUT-defined malnutri tion and the PNI-defined malnutrition were associated with decrease in survival rate.Although both the CONUT score and the PNI score were associated with prognosis in candidates for HT, the CONUT score was superior to the PNI score in predicting mortality.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of heart failure (HF) etiology on clinical, echocardiographic, and hemodynamic findings, right ventricular (RV) function, and outcomes in patients with end-stage HF. Patients and Methods: A total of 470 end-stage HF patients who undergoing evaluation for heart transplantation (HT) were divided into two groups: ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICMP, n=249) and nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NICMP, n=221). RV dysfunction was defined as tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) ≤1.5 cm (TAPSE-defined RV dysfunction) and right ventricular stroke work index (RVSWI) Results: Patients with ICMP had higher pulmonary vascular resistance, systolic and mean pulmonary artery pressures (PAPs and PAPm) than those with NICMP [3.0 (1.1-6.0) vs. 2.0 (1.0-5.0),P=0.013; 53.5 (42.0-68.0) vs. 46.0 (32.5-64.5),P Conclusion: We that demonstrated patients with end-stage HF, ICMP had greater RV afterload and RVSWI value than NICMP and HF etiology was not predictor of primary outcome. However, we couldn't say for sure whether HF etiology has an effect on RV function because of the conflicting results in TAPSE-defined RV dysfunction and RVSWI-defined RV dysfunction.

Unicommissural unicuspid aortic valve (UAV) is a rare valvular malformation. It may lead to severe aortic stenosis with or without aortic regurgitation. UAVs have many characteristic changes such as premature dysmorphic valvular calcification and premature valvular dysfunction. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) was described as the gold standard for the diagnosis of UAVs. We reported the case of a 58 years old man who presented with syncope and dyspnea due to severe aortic stenosis secondary to a heavily calcified unicommissural UAV. After the surgery pathological specimen showed severe amorphous calcification just like a calcified amorphous tumor (CAT).

Background and objective: In patients with acute myocardial infarction and multivessel disease, the timing of intervention to non-culprit lesions is still a matter of debate, especially in patients without shock. This study aimed to compare the effect of multivessel intervention, performed at index percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (MVI-I) or index hospitalization (MVI-S), on the 30-day results of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and to investigate the effect of coronary lesion complexity assessed by the Syntax (Sx) score on the timing of multivessel intervention. Materials and methods: We enrolled 180 patients with MVI-I, and 425 patients with MVI-S. The major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) for this study were identified as mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, acute heart failure, ischemia driven revascularization, major bleeding, and acute renal failure developed within 30 days. Results: The unadjusted MACE rates at 30 days were 11.2% and 5% among those who underwent MVI-I and MVI-S, respectively (OR 3.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.51&ndash, 6.02, p=0.002). Associations were statistically significant after adjusting for covariates in the penalized multivariable model (adjusted OR 2.06, 95%CI 1.02&ndash, 4.18, p=0.043), propensity score adjusted multivariable model (adjusted OR 2.46, 95%CI 1.19&ndash, 5.07, p=0.015), and IPW (adjusted OR 2.11, 95%CI 1.28&ndash, 3.47, p=0.041). We found that the Syntax score of lesions did not affect the results. Conclusion: MVI-S was associated with a lower incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events within 30 days after discharge.