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Query: UMLS:C0018801 (heart failure)
 72,216 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Aortic valve replacement with the University of Cape Town lenticular prosthesis was performed in 149 patients during a six-year period, almost all patients being severely disabled with advanced heart disease. There was a hospital mortality of 12 per cent. Bacterial endocarditis was a serious complication and accounted for three hospital and five long-term deaths. The survivors were followed for periods of up to 72 months (average 24), the minimum period of observation being six months. There were 23 late deaths due to heart disease, of which 5 where due to myocardial failure. Myocardial failure unrelieved or only temporarily alleviated by the operation occurred in three surviving patients. The main problems have been sudden death and systemic embolism. Some of the cases of sudden death were due to coronary artery embolism, but in a number the cause could not be determined even at necropsy, and they were presumed to be due to arrhythmia. Both complications appeared to be related to valve design. A bare steel seat was associated with a high incidence of both complications, whereas a woven Dacron-velour cloth-covered seat almost eliminated embolism and reduced the incidence of sudden death. Long-term anticoagulant therapy appears to be of no real value with the cloth-covered valve. Gratifying results were obtained in the surviving patients with loss of all symptoms in 80 per cent and improvement in almost all patients. This improvement or relief of symptoms was maintained in most patients throughout the period of study.
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PMID:Immediate and long-term results of aortic valve replacent with University of Cape Town aortic valve prosthesis. 544 May 21

Based on the findings of 50 patients with infective endocarditis, 37 affecting the aortic, six the mitral and seven both the aortic and mitral valves, in addition to analysis of predisposing factors, prominent signs and symptoms distinctive for the clinical entity were assessed (Tables 1 to 3). Preexistent conditions such as aortic valve lesions including bicuspid aortic valve as well as mitral valve lesions including mitral valve prolapse were proven in 66%. Factors which may have compromised host defense mechanisms such as cachexia and chronic alcohol or intravenous drug abuse were present in isolated cases. In 38% of the patients, a diagnostic or therapeutic manipulation, suspected to have given rise to the bacteremia, antedated the onset of endocarditis. Malaise, fatigue and chills were the most frequent symptoms (Table 4). Fever and cardiac murmurs were observed in all patients, anemia and bacteremia in 74% of the patients, respectively (Tables 4 to 6). In blood cultures, the most common microorganisms were found to be hemolytic and nonhemolytic streptococci accounting for 65% of positive findings, followed by enterococci and gram-negative bacteria each with 14% respectively (Table 6). Congestive heart failure predominated among cardiac complications with its occurrence in 84% of the patients. Valvular ring or myocardial abscess, aortic or sinus of Valsalva aneurysm, occasionally with perforation, were found in 24% of our patients. Coronary embolism was documented in 6%; infection-associated pericarditis was observed only rarely (Table 7). Extracardiac complications involved the skin, central nervous system, spleen and kidneys, respectively, in 20 to 30% of the patients. Complications afflicting the eyes, lungs, gastrointestinal tract and the musculo-skeletal system were seen with a lesser frequency of 0 to 12% (Table 8). The diagnosis of infective endocarditis, rendered highly-probable by the constellation of fever, cardiac murmur, bacteremia and anemia, necessitates, however, confirmation through cardiac examinations. In this respect, electrocardiographic and radiologic findings are of limited value, although they may be useful in the detection of cardiac complications. In 6% of the patients, positive criteria for myocardial infarction were indicative of coronary embolism and, i 30%, atrioventricular or fascicular block suggested the presence of abscess formation (Table 9). As radiologic evidence of heart failure, 74% of the patients were found to have pulmonary vascular congestion (Table 10).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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PMID:[Detection and evaluation of infectious endocarditis]. 664 98

Coronary embolism is considered to be rare but recent evidence suggests that it may be underdiagnosed, and implicated in acute myocardial infarction associated with angiographically normal coronary arteries. Twenty-six patients were studied. In six, coronary embolism was a primary cause of death confirmed at autopsy. In 20 patients, 23 episodes of coronary embolism were diagnosed clinically. The left coronary system was occluded in 65 per cent, transient electrocardiographic changes occurred in 30 per cent, and either no history or an atypical history of acute myocardial infarction occurred in 29 per cent. Other systemic emboli occurred in 25 per cent. Aortic valve lesions were present in 70 per cent and combined mitral and aortic valve disease in 55 per cent of the patients. The incidence of coronary risk factors was low. Sequelae included increased dyspnoea (35 per cent), ventricular aneurysm (25 per cent) and cardiac failure (12 per cent). Angina rarely followed acute myocardial infarction.
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PMID:Coronary embolism in valvular heart disease. 711 77

BACKGROUND Non-atherosclerotic causes of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) are uncommon, and there are few case reports of acute myocardial infarction secondary to coronary artery embolism. CASE REPORT A 66-year-old man presented with shortness of breath and leg swelling. Diagnoses of congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation were made. He was electrically cardioverted to normal sinus rhythm. Coronary angiogram was performed to rule out ischemic etiology of new-onset systolic heart failure, and anticoagulation therapy was interrupted for cardiac catheterization. His coronary angiogram showed 60% angiographic but hemodynamically insignificant stenosis by fractional flow reserve in the left anterior descending artery. The following day, the patient developed chest pain and ST-segment elevation in the anterolateral leads of the ECG. An emergent coronary angiogram showed thrombotic occlusion of the left anterior descending artery distal to the mid-left anterior descending artery lesion that was found on the initial angiogram. Successful thrombus aspiration was performed, and the patient was discharged to home on oral anticoagulation therapy with rivaroxaban. Most likely, the cause of thrombotic occlusion of the left anterior descending artery was an atrial fibrillation-related thromboembolic phenomenon due to interruption of anticoagulation therapy soon after direct-current cardioversion. CONCLUSIONS Subtherapeutic anticoagulation therapy soon after direct-current cardioversion of atrial fibrillation can lead to potentially fatal coronary artery embolism and acute myocardial infarction.
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PMID:A Suspected Case of Acute Embolic Myocardial Infarction Following Direct-Current Cardioversion of Atrial Fibrillation. 3038 36