Long-term clinical outcome of major adverse cardiac events in survivors of infective endocarditis: a nationwide population-based study

The Usefulness of the CHA2DS2-VASc Score to Predict Outcomes in Patients with Infective Endocarditis

Introduction: Despite diagnostic and therapeutic advances, infective endocarditis (IE) is still associated with high mortality rates. Currently, there are no good prognostic tools for the risk assessment of patients with IE. The CHA2DS2-VASc score, used to estimate the risk of ischemic stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF), has been shown to be a powerful predictor of stroke and death in patients without known AF associated with other cardiovascular conditions. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the usefulness of the CHA2DS2-VASc score as a prognostic tool in a population of patients with IE. Methods: The Rabin Medical Center Endocarditis Team (RMCET) registry is a retrospective cohort of all patients evaluated at our center due to acute or sub-acute bacterial endocarditis. The CHA2DS2-VASc score was extracted for all patients. All-cause mortality was depicted for all patients. Results: The cohort included 330 patients with a mean age of 65.2 ± 14.7 years (70% men). During a median follow-up of 24 months [IQR 4.7-48.6], 121 (36.7%) patients died. The median CHA2DS2-VASc score was 3, and any score above 2 was associated with increased overall mortality (50.8% vs. 19.9%, p < 0.001). A multivariate model incorporating important confounders not included in the CHA2DS2-VASc model showed consistent results with a risk increase of 121% for the higher CHA2DS2-VASc score groups (HR 2.21 [CI 1.12-4.39], p = 0.023). Conclusions: IE currently has no good risk stratification models for clinical practice. The CHA2DS2-VASc score might serve as a simple and available tool to stratify risk among patients with IE.

Impact of Neurological Complications on Long-Term Outcomes in Patients with Infective Endocarditis

Neurological complications are frequent during the active course of infective endocarditis (IE), and they are associated with high in-hospital mortality rates. However, limited data exist on the prognostic value of these complications for late outcomes. This study aimed to assess the long-term impact of neurological complications in patients surviving an IE episode. A total of 263 consecutive IE patients admitted to a tertiary care center between 2007 and 2022 were prospectively included. Neurological complications at admission included transient ischemic attack (TIA), ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, intracerebral abscess, and meningitis. The primary outcome was a composite of overall mortality or heart valve surgery. Of the patients, 34.2% died in the hospital, leaving 173 survivors for long-term follow-up. Over a median of 3.5 years, 29 patients died, and 13 (9%) underwent cardiac surgery, resulting in an overall adverse event rate of 30%. Neurological complications independently predicted long-term adverse outcomes (hazard ratio (HR) 2.237; 95% CI 1.006-4.976), after adjusting for age, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and heart failure (HF) development. In an IE patient cohort, neurological complications at admission, which is a complication directly related to the IE process, were independent predictors of long-term outcomes.

Surgical repair and replacement for native mitral valve infective endocarditis

AIMS

The clinical benefits of mitral valve repair over replacement in the setting of mitral infective endocarditis are not clearly established.

METHODS

Data of patients who underwent cardiac surgery for infective endocarditis over a 20-year period (2001-2021) at two cardiac centres were reviewed. Among them, 282 patients underwent native mitral valve surgery and were included in the study. Nearest-neighbour propensity-score matching was performed to account for differences in patients' profile between the repair and replacement subgroups.

RESULTS

Mitral valve replacement was performed in 186 patients, while in 96 cases patients underwent mitral valve repair. Propensity match analysis provided 89 well matched pairs. Mean age was 60 ± 15 years; 75% of the patients were male. Mitral valve replacement was more commonly performed in patients with involvement of both mitral leaflets, commissure(s) and mitral annulus. Patients with lesion(s) limited to P2 segment formed the majority of the cases undergoing mitral valve repair. There was no difference in terms of microbiological findings. In-hospital mortality was 7% with no difference between the repair and the replacement cohorts. Survival probabilities at 1, 5 and 10 years were 88%, 72% and 68%, respectively after mitral repair, and 88%, 78% and 63%, respectively after mitral replacement (log-rank P  = 0.94).

CONCLUSIONS

Mitral valve repair was more commonly performed in patients with isolated single leaflet involvement and provided good early and 10-year outcomes. Patients with annular disruption, lesion(s) on both leaflets and commissure(s) were successfully served on early and mid-term course by mitral valve replacement.

Features of infective endocarditis in a contemporary cohort of persons who inject drugs: a matched comparison analysis of long-term prognostic factors

The objective of the study was to assess the short- and long-term mortality of infective endocarditis (IE) among people who inject drugs (PWID). Using prospectively collected data on hospitalized patients (years 2000 through 2021) with IE, PWID were identified and included in this study. Survival analysis was performed to analyze short- and long-term mortality and study their risk factors among PWID and a matched group of non-intravenous drug users (N-IDU). In a study of 485 patients admitted for IE, 55 (11%) of them were PWID. These PWID patients were 1:1 age- and sex- matched to an N-IDU group (N = 55 per group). Both groups had similar baseline comorbid conditions, including congestive heart failure, type 2 diabetes, and neoplastic diseases. However, PWID were more likely to have HCV co-infection (62% vs 16%, respectively, p < 0.001) and advanced liver disease/cirrhosis (52% vs 7.9%, respectively, p < 0.001). IE in PWID more often affected the tricuspid valve (42% vs 22%, respectively, p = 0.024) and presented with more embolic events (66% vs 35%, respectively, p < 0.01). S. aureus was the primary cause of IE in PWID (44% vs 21%, respectively, p = 0.01). After adjusting for other variables, PWID (HR = 2.99, 95% CI [1.06, 8.43], p = 0.038) and valve bioprosthetic replacement (HR = 5.37, 95% CI [1.3, 22.1], p = 0.02) were independently associated with increased mortality risk, whereas IE caused by tricuspid valve infection was associated with reduced mortality risk (HR = 0.25, 95% CI [0.06, 0.97], p = 0.046). In this cohort, PWID had increased risk of long-term mortality after hospital discharge for IE, when compared to matched N-IDU with similar baseline characteristics. The reasons behind the significant increase in mortality warrant further investigation.

NatIonal Danish endocarditis stUdieS - Design and objectives of the NIDUS registry

AIMS

The NatIonal Danish endocarditis stUdieS (NIDUS) registry aims to investigate the mechanisms contributing to the increasing incidence of infective endocarditis (IE) and to discover risk factors associated to the course, treatment and clinical outcomes of the disease.

METHODS

The NIDUS registry was created to investigate a nationwide unselected group of patients hospitalized for IE. The National Danish healthcare registries have been queried for validated IE diagnosis codes (International Classification of Disease, 10th edition [ICD-10]: DI33, DI38, and DI398). Subsequently, a team of 28 healthcare professionals, including experts in endocarditis, will systematically review and evaluate all identified patient records using the modified Duke Criteria and the 2015 European Society of Cardiology modified diagnostic criteria. The registry will contain all cases with definite or possible IE found in primary data sources in Denmark between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2021. We will gather individual patient data, such as clinical, microbiological, and echocardiographic characteristics, treatment regimens, and clinical outcomes. A digital data collection form will be used to the gathering of data. A sample of approximately 4,300 individual patients will be evaluated using primary data sources.

CONCLUSIONS AND PERSPECTIVES

The NIDUS registry will be the first comprehensive nationwide IE registry, contributing critical knowledge about the course, treatment, and clinical outcomes of the disease. Additionally, it will significantly aid in identifying areas in which future research is needed.

Clinical implementation of partial oral treatment in infective endocarditis: the Danish POETry study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

In the Partial Oral Treatment of Endocarditis (POET) trial, stabilized patients with left-sided infective endocarditis (IE) were randomized to oral step-down antibiotic therapy (PO) or conventional continued intravenous antibiotic treatment (IV), showing non-inferiority after 6 months. In this study, the first guideline-driven clinical implementation of the oral step-down POET regimen was examined.

METHODS

Patients with IE, caused by Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus spp. or coagulase-negative staphylococci diagnosed between May 2019 and December 2020 were possible candidates for initiation of oral step-down antibiotic therapy, at the discretion of the treating physician. The composite primary outcome in patients finalizing antibiotic treatment consisted of embolic events, unplanned cardiac surgery, relapse of bacteraemia and all-cause mortality within 6 months.

RESULTS

A total of 562 patients [median age 74 years (IQR, interquartile range, 65-80), 70% males] with IE were possible candidates; PO was given to 240 (43%) patients and IV to 322 (57%) patients. More patients in the IV group had IE caused by S. aureus, or had an intra-cardiac abscess, or a pacemaker and more were surgically treated. The primary outcome occurred in 30 (13%) patients in the PO group and in 59 (18%) patients in the IV group (P = .051); in the PO group, 20 (8%) patients died vs. 46 (14%) patients in the IV group (P = .024). PO-treated patients had a shorter median length of stay [PO 24 days (IQR 17-36) vs. IV 43 days (IQR 32-51), P < .001].

CONCLUSIONS

After clinical implementation of the POET regimen almost half of the possible candidates with IE received oral step-down antibiotic therapy. Patients in the IV group had more serious risk factors for negative outcomes. At 6-month follow-up, there was a numerically but not statistically significant difference towards a lower incidence of the primary outcome, a lower incidence of all-cause mortality and a reduced length of stay in the PO group. Due to the observational design of the study, the lower mortality may to some extent reflect selection bias and unmeasured confounding. Clinical implementation of PO regimens seemed feasible and safe.

Perioperative Complications in Infective Endocarditis

Infective endocarditis is a challenging condition to manage, requiring collaboration among various medical professionals. Interdisciplinary teamwork within endocarditis teams is essential. About half of the patients diagnosed with the disease will ultimately have to undergo cardiac surgery. As a result, it is vital for all healthcare providers involved in the perioperative period to have a comprehensive understanding of the unique features of infective endocarditis, including clinical presentation, echocardiographic signs, coagulopathy, bleeding control, and treatment of possible organ dysfunction. This narrative review provides a summary of the current knowledge on the incidence of complications and their management in the perioperative period in patients with infective endocarditis.

Current therapies and challenges for the treatment of Staphylococcus aureus biofilm-related infections

Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of nosocomial and community-acquired infections and contributes to significant increase in morbidity and mortality especially when associated with medical devices and in biofilm form. Biofilm structure provides a pathway for the enrichment of resistant and persistent phenotypes of S. aureus leading to relapse and recurrence of infection. Minimal diffusion of antibiotics inside biofilm structure leads to heterogeneity and distinct physiological activity. Additionally, horizontal gene transfer between cells in proximity adds to the challenges associated with eradication of biofilms. This narrative review focuses on biofilm-associated infections caused by S. aureus, the impact of environmental conditions on biofilm formation, interactions inside biofilm communities, and the clinical challenges that they present. Conclusively, potential solutions, novel treatment strategies, combination therapies, and reported alternatives are discussed.

Five-Year Cardiovascular Outcomes after Infective Endocarditis in Patients with versus without Drug Use History

Background: Disparities in treatment and outcomes of infective endocarditis (IE) between people who use drugs (PWUD) and non-PWUD have been reported, but long-term data on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular outcomes are limited. We aim to compare 5-year rates of mortality, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events after IE between PWUD and non-PWUD. Methods: Using data from the TriNetX Research Network, we examined 5-year cumulative incidence of mortality, myocardial infarction, heart failure, atrial fibrillation/flutter, ventricular tachyarrhythmias, ischemic stroke, and intracranial hemorrhage in 7132 PWUD and 7132 propensity score-matched non-PWUD patients after a first episode of IE. We used the Kaplan−Meier estimate for incidence and Cox proportional hazards models to estimate relative risk. Results: Matched PWUD were 41 ± 12 years old; 52.2% men; 70.4% White, 19.8% Black, and 8.0% Hispanic. PWUD had higher mortality vs. non-PWUD after 1 year (1−3 year: 9.2% vs. 7.5%, p = 0.032; and 3−5-year: 7.3% vs. 5.1%, p = 0.020), which was largely driven by higher mortality among female patients. PWUD also had higher rates of myocardial infarction (10.0% vs. 7.0%, p < 0.001), heart failure (19.3% vs. 15.2%, p = 0.002), ischemic stroke (8.3% vs. 6.3%, p = 0.001), and intracranial hemorrhage (4.1% vs. 2.8%, p = 0.009) compared to non-PWUD. Among surgically treated PWUD, interventions on the tricuspid valve were more common; however, rates of all outcomes were comparable to non-PWUD. Conclusions: PWUD had higher 5-year incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events after IE compared to non-PWUD patients. Prospective investigation into the causes of these disparities and potential harm reduction efforts are needed.

Association Between Hypertension and Incident Infective Endocarditis

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the association of hypertension with incident infective endocarditis (IE) by investigating the incidence of IE according to blood pressure levels using the National Health Insurance Service database.

METHODS

The data of 4 080 331 individuals linked to the health screening database in 2009 were retrieved (males, 55.08%; mean age, 47.12±14.13 years). From 2009 to 2018, the risk factors for the first episode of IE were investigated. Hypertension was categorized into normotension, prehypertension, hypertension, and hypertension with medication. The Cox proportional hazard model assessed the effect of blood pressure level during the health screening exam on incident IE.

RESULTS

During the 9-year follow-up, 812 (0.02%) participants were diagnosed with IE. The incidence rates of IE in the normotension, prehypertension, hypertension, and hypertension with medication groups were 0.9, 1.4, 2.6, and 6.0 per 100 000 person-years, respectively. Those with prehypertension, hypertension, and hypertension with medication were correlated with an increased risk of IE in a dose-response manner compared with the normotension group (hazard ratio, 1.33 [95% CI, 1.06-1.68]; hazard ratio, 1.98 [1.48-2.66]; hazard ratio, 2.56 [2.02-3.24], respectively, all P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

In a large national cohort study with an average follow-up of 9 years, increased blood pressure was identified as a risk factor for incident IE in a dose-dependent manner. Hypertension increases the public health care burden by acting as a risk factor for rare infective heart diseases.

Temporal trends and patterns of infective endocarditis in a Chinese population: A territory-wide study in Hong Kong (2002–2019)

Background

The characteristics of infective endocarditis (IE) in Asians are poorly understood. Therefore, we aim to describe the epidemiological trends and clinical features of IE in Hong Kong.

Methods

All patients with incident IE from 2002–2019 in a territory-wide clinical database in Hong Kong were identified. We studied the age- and sex-adjusted and one-year mortality of IE between 2002 and 2019 and identified significant contributors to 1-year all-cause death using the attributable fraction. We used propensity score and inverse propensity of treatment weighting to study the association of surgery with mortality.

Findings

A total of 5139 patients (60.4 ± 18.2years, 37% women) were included. The overall incidence of IE was 4.9 per 100,000 person-year, which did not change over time (P = 0.17). Patients in 2019 were older and more comorbid than those in 2002. The one-year crude mortality rate was 30% in 2002, which did not change significantly over time (P = 0.10). Between 2002 and 2019, the rate of surgery increased and was associated with a 51% risk reduction in 1-year all-cause mortality (Hazard Ratio 0.49 [0.28–0.87], P = 0.015). Advanced age (attributable fraction 19%) and comorbidities (attributable fraction 15%) were significant contributors to death.

Interpretation

The incidence of IE in Hong Kong did not change between 2002 and 2019. Patients with IE in 2019 were older and had more comorbidities than those in 2002. Mortality of IE remains persistently high in Hong Kong. Together, these data can guide public health strategies to improve the outcomes of patients with IE.

Funding

This work was supported by Sanming Project of Medicine in Shenzhen, China [No. SZSM201911020] and HKU-SZH Fund for Shenzhen Key Medical Discipline [No. SZXK2020081].

Infective Endocarditis: Still More Challenges Than Convictions

After fourteen decades of medical and technological evolution, infective endocarditis continues to challenge physicians in its daily diagnosis and management. Its increasing incidence, demographic shifts (affecting older patients), microbiology with higher rates of Staphylococcus infection, still frequent serious complications and substantial mortality make endocarditis a very complex disease. Despite this, innovations in the diagnosis, involving microbiology and imaging, and improvements in intensive care and cardiac surgical techniques, materials and timing can impact the prognosis of this disease. Ongoing challenges persist, including rethinking prophylaxis, improving the diagnosis criteria comprising blood culture-negative endocarditis and prosthetic valve endocarditis, timing of surgical intervention, and whether to perform surgery in the presence of ischemic stroke or in intravenous drug users. A combined strategy on infective endocarditis is crucial, involving advanced clinical decisions and protocols, a multidisciplinary approach, national healthcare organization and health policies to achieve better results for our patients.

Cardiac Imaging for Diagnosis and Management of Infective Endocarditis

Imaging is central to the care of patients with infective endocarditis. While transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography are the principle imaging techniques, additional modalities including positron emission tomography and cardiac computed tomography, and to a lesser extent intracardiac echocardiography, play an increasing role. This review discusses the role of cardiac imaging in establishing the diagnosis of endocarditis, in predicting its embolic risk and in making decisions regarding the need for and timing of surgery.

Rupture of Both Left-Sided Valves Following Endocarditis Causing One Trouble After Another: A Case Report

Despite the advances in managing left-sided infective endocarditis, complications are still not uncommon. Both aortic and mitral insufficiency can occur from infective endocarditis. In addition, valvular insufficiency due to rupture of valves presents acutely with cardiac decompensation and requires early surgical intervention. Here, we report a case of a 38-year-old intravenous drug user male with Group A Streptococcus-associated left-sided native valve infective endocarditis who presented with acute heart failure three months after his treatment of infective endocarditis. Infective endocarditis complications can lead to severe valve damage, causing acute heart failure, and may require immediate surgical intervention.

Increased risk of shoulder calcific tendinopathy in diabetes mellitus: A nationwide, population-based, matched cohort study

BACKGROUND

Calcific tendinopathy of the rotator cuff is a common cause of painful disability in the shoulder with unclear aetiology. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with calcific tendinopathy; however, large epidemiological data are lacking. Thus, we conducted a nationwide population-based matched cohort study to investigate the risk for calcific tendinopathy of the shoulder in diabetic patients.

METHODS

The National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan was used to include 42 915 patients newly diagnosed with DM between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2015 and randomly extract the data of 171 660 individuals, as a matched control group. All individuals were followed-up until the development of calcific tendinopathy or the end of 2015.

RESULTS

Overall, 122 patients from the DM group (0.284%) developed calcific tendinopathy compared with 340 individuals from the non-DM group (0.198%). The Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that patients with DM had a higher risk of calcific tendinopathy since the eighth year of follow-up (log-rank test, P = .006). Cox proportional hazard regression revealed that the adjusted hazard ratio of calcific tendinopathy in diabetic patients to that in non-diabetic patients was 1.276 (95% confidence interval 1.037-1.571, P = .002). Moreover, the stratified analysis disclosed that DM was a strong independent risk factor for calcific tendinopathy irrespective of the existing comorbidities.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that patients with DM had a 27% increased risk of developing calcific tendinopathy of the shoulder, 8 years after initially being diagnosed with DM.

Posttraumatic stress disorder and the risk of erectile dysfunction: a nationwide cohort study in Taiwan : PTSD and erectile dysfunction

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to investigate the association between posttraumatic stress disorder and the risk of developing erectile dysfunction.

METHODS

In this population-based retrospective cohort study, we used Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database to analyze patients who were newly diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) between 2000 and 2013, with a 1:3 ratio by age and index year matched with patients in a non-PTSD comparison group, for the risk of erectile dysfunction.

RESULTS

In total, 5 out of 1079 patients in the PTSD group developed erectile dysfunction, and 3 out of 3237 patients in the non-PTSD group (47.58 vs. 9.03 per 100,000 per person-year) developed erectile dysfunction. The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the PTSD cohort had a significantly higher risk of erectile dysfunction (log-rank, p < 0.001). The Cox regression analysis revealed that the study subjects were more likely to develop an injury (hazard ratio: 12.898, 95% confidence intervals = 2.453-67.811, p = 0.003) after adjusting for age, monthly income, urbanization level, geographic region, and comorbidities. Psychotropic medications used by the patients with PTSD were not associated with the risk of erectile dysfunction.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients who suffered from PTSD had a higher risk of developing erectile dysfunction.

C-Reactive Protein at Hospital Discharge and 1-Year Mortality in Acute Infective Endocarditis: A Prospective Observational Study

Background: An accurate biomarker at hospital discharge is needed to identify patients with acute infective endocarditis (IE) who are at high risk of mortality. This prospective observational study evaluated the prognostic value of C-reactive protein (CRP).

Methods: Patients with acute IE (n = 343) and hospitalized at 2 university-affiliated medical centers from January 2014 to December 2019 were enrolled. Patients were categorized as having low or high CRP (n = 217 and 126, respectively) at hospital discharge according to the optimal cutoff (CRP = 6.5 mg/L) determined via receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis. The primary endpoint was all-cause death, from hospital discharge to 1 year. The secondary endpoint was the cumulative rate of rehospitalization or paravalvular abscess at 1 year.

Results: At the 12-month follow-up, the mortality rate of the high-CRP group (21.43%) was significantly higher than that of the low-CRP group (2.76%, log-rank P < 0.0001). The multivariate regression analysis indicated that the high-CRP group had a higher excess mortality hazard risk (HR = 4.182; 95% CI: 2.120, 5.211; P < 0.001). The cumulative 1-year incidence of paravalvular abscess of the high-CRP group (11.90%) was significantly higher than that of the low-CRP (5.07%; P = 0.022). The cumulative rate of heart rehospitalizations of the 2 groups were similar (18.25% cf. 14.29%, P = 0.273).

Conclusion: For hospitalized patients with acute IE, a high CRP at discharge suggests a poor prognosis for 1-year mortality and paravalvular abscess.

Statin Use and Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness in Persons >65 Years of Age, Taiwan

Influenza vaccine effectively reduced risks for in-hospital death or hospitalization, regardless of statin use.

Debates on whether statin use reduces the effectiveness of influenza vaccines against critical illness and death among persons >65 years of age continue. We conducted a study of 9,427,392 persons >65 years of age who did and did not receive influenza vaccinations during 12 consecutive influenza seasons, 2000–01 through 2011–12. Using data from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database, we performed propensity score-matching to compare vaccinated persons with unvaccinated controls. After propensity score-matching, the vaccinated group had lower risks for in-hospital death from influenza and pneumonia and for hospitalization for pneumonia and influenza, circulatory conditions, and critical illnesses compared with the unvaccinated group. We stratified the 2 groups by statin use and analyzed data by interaction analysis and saw no statistically significant difference. We found that influenza vaccine effectively reduced risks for hospitalization and death in persons >65 years of age, regardless of statin use.

Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Antidepressant Users Within Patients With Ischemic Heart Diseases: A Nationwide Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

To evaluate the effect of antidepressants on the development of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD), we analyzed the association between antidepressant use and the risk of MACE development.

METHODS

Patients with depression and a history of IHD between 2008 and 2012 were identified by using the National Health Insurance Service database. A cohort was followed up for the development of MACE until the end of 2015. Hazard ratios (HRs) for myocardial infarction, stroke, and cardiovascular death were estimated by Cox proportional hazard regression in a propensity score-matched cohort.

RESULTS

Over a median 4.2 years of follow-up, 2943 MACE occurred in 18,981 antidepressant users. Use of antidepressants was not associated with the incidence of MACE when compared with antidepressant nonusers (adjusted HR, 1.00; 95% confidence interval, 0.95-1.05). Among the analyses according to different classes of antidepressants, the increased risk of stroke was only observed in the subgroup of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) users. Dose-response findings reported greater risk in those with higher doses of use (SSRIs with ≥1.0 defined daily dose; adjusted HR, 1.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.23), whereas duration response does not support association.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with antidepressant nonusers, use of antidepressants was not associated with occurrence of MACEs in patients with depression and IHD. Although the overall effect of antidepressants on the risk of MACE was neutral, careful monitoring of MACE development is recommended in high-dose SSRI users.

Heterogeneidad del tratamiento para cándida parapsilosis en endocarditis micótica de válvula nativa

Las infecciones por cándida en el ámbito intrahospitalario han ido en ascenso en las últimas décadas en especial en las unidades de cuidado intensivo (UCI), dado el uso cada vez más frecuente de antibióticos de amplio espectro y de procedimientos invasivos tanto diagnósticos como terapéuticos. Hoy se consideran las especies de cándida como la cuarta causa de infección del torrente sanguíneo en los Estados Unidos de Norteamérica, con alto riesgo de complicaciones que incluyen endocarditis, trombosis y embolismo séptico al sistema nervioso central (SNC) entre otros. En relación con la endocarditis por especies de cándida, se han considerado de mal pronóstico por el alto riesgo de afectación al SNC, por lo que se ha recomendado el manejo quirúrgico como piedra angular de su tratamiento. A continuación, se describe el caso clínico de un paciente con endocarditis y con candidemia por cándida parapsilosis a quien se le realizó manejo médico.

Patients with infective endocarditis and history of injection drug use in a Swedish referral hospital during 10 years

Background

Patients with injection drug use (IDU) have increased risk of developing infective endocarditis (IE). Previous studies have reported recurrent IE, increased duration of hospital stay, poor adherence and compliance as well as higher mortality and worse outcomes after surgery in the IDU-IE patient group. Further studies are needed to provide a basis for optimized care and prevention of readmissions in this population. This study aims to describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes among patients with IDU-IE.

Methods

Data of adults with IDU-IE and non-IDU-IE, treated between 2008 and 2017 at the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm were obtained from the Swedish National Registry of Infective Endocarditis. Clinical characteristics, microbiological results, treatment durations, results from echocardiography and in-hospital mortality were compared between the groups.

Results

Of the total 522 patients, 165 (32%) had IDU-IE. Patients with IDU-IE were younger than the patients with non-IDU-IE (mean age IDU-IE: 41.6 years, SD 11.9 years; non-IDU-IE: 64.3 years, SD 16.4 years; P <  0.01). No difference in distribution of gender was observed, 33% were females in both the IDU-IE and the non-IDU-IE group. History of previous IE (IDU-IE: n = 49, 30%; non-IDU-IE: n = 34, 10%; P <  0.01) and vascular phenomena (IDU-IE: n = 101, 61%; non-IDU-IE: n = 120, 34%; P <  0.01) were more common among patients with IDU-IE while prosthetic heart valves (IDU-IE: n = 12, 7%; non-IDU-IE: n = 83, 23%; P <  0.01) and known valvular disease (IDU-IE: n = 3, 2%; non-IDU-IE: n = 78, 22%; P <  0.01) were more common among patients with non-IDU-IE. Aetiology of Staphylococcus aureus (IDU-IE: n = 123, 75%; non-IDU-IE: n = 118, 33%; P <  0.01) as well as tricuspid (IDU-IE: n = 91, 55%; non-IDU-IE: n = 23, 6%; P <  0.01) or pulmonary valve vegetations (IDU-IE: n = 7, 4%; non-IDU-IE: n = 2, 1%; P <  0.01) were more common in the IDU-IE group. The overall incidence of IDU-IE decreased during the study period, while the incidence of definite IE increased (P <  0.01).

Conclusions

This study presents that patients with IDU-IE were younger, less frequently treated with surgery and had higher prevalence of vascular phenomena and history of previous IE, aspects that are important for improved management of this population.

Clinical outcomes in patients with native valve infective endocarditis and diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND

There is a lack of data on the clinical outcomes in patients with native valve infective endocarditis (NVIE) and diabetes mellitus (DM).

AIM

To investigate (1) trends in the prevalence of DM among patients with NVIE; and (2) the impact of DM on NVIE outcomes.

METHODS

We identified 76385 with NVIE from the 2004 to 2014 National Inpatient Sample, of which 22284 (28%) had DM. We assessed trends in DM from 2004 to 2014 using the Cochrane Armitage test. We compared baseline comorbidities, microorganisms, and in-patients procedures between those with vs without DM. Propensity match analysis and multivariate logistic regression were used to investigate study outcomes in in-hospital mortality, stroke, acute heart failure, cardiogenic shock, septic shock, and atrioventricular block.

RESULTS

Crude rates of DM increased from in 22% in 2004 to 30% in 2014. There were significant differences in demographics, comorbidities and NVIE risk factors between the two groups. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common organism identified with higher rates in patients with DM (33.1% vs 35.6%; P < 0.0001). After propensity matching, in-hospital mortality (11.1% vs 11.9%; P < 0.0001), stroke (2.3% vs 3.0%; P < 0.0001), acute heart failure (4.6% vs 6.5%; P = 0.001), cardiogenic shock (1.5% vs 1.9%; P < 0.0001), septic shock (7.2% vs 9.6%; P < 0.0001), and atrioventricular block (1.5% vs 2.4%; P < 0.0001), were significantly higher in patients with DM. Independent predictors of mortality in NVIE patients with DM include hemodialysis, congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, staphylococcus aureus, and older age.

CONCLUSION

There is an increasing prevalence of DM in NVIE and it is associated with poorer outcomes. Further studies are crucial to identify the clinical, and sociodemographic contributors to this trend and develop strategies to mitigate its attendant risk.

Comparing right- and left sided injection-drug related infective endocarditis

The aim of the study was to compare background characteristics, microbiology and outcome of patients with right-sided and left-sided intravenous drug use (IDU) associated infective endocarditis (IE). A nationwide retrospective study using the Swedish Registry on Infective Endocarditis between 2008 and 2019 was conducted. A total of 586 people with IDU-IE were identified and divided into left-sided (n = 204) and right-sided (n = 382) IE. Descriptive statistics, Cox-regression and Kaplan–Meier survival estimates were used. The mean age of patients in the left-sided group was 46 years compared to 35 years in the right-sided group, p < 0.001. Left-sided IE had a higher proportion of females. Staphylococcus aureus was the causative pathogen in 48% of cases in the left-sided group compared to 88% in the right-sided group. Unadjusted and adjusted long-term survival was better in right-sided IE compared to left-sided IE. Independent predictors of long-term mortality were increasing age, end-stage renal disease, nosocomial infection, brain emboli and left-sided IE. Left-sided IE was common in people with IDU but the proportion of females with left-sided IE was low. S. aureus was twice as common in right-sided IE compared to left-sided IE, and the long-term prognosis of right sided IDU-associated IE was better compared to left-sided IE despite the fact that few were operated.

CHA2DS2-VASc Is Associated With In-Hospital Mortality in Patients With Infective Endocarditis: A Cross-Sectional Cohort Study

Background and objective The CHA2DS2-VASc score is a stroke risk stratification tool that is used in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Most of its clinical variables have been associated with poor outcomes in patients with infective endocarditis (IE). In this study, we aimed to determine its utility in predicting outcomes in IE patients. Methods We included 35,570 patients with IE from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS), 2009-2012. The CHA2DS2-VASc score was calculated for each patient. Hierarchical logistic regression was used to estimate the adjusted odds ratio for in-hospital mortality for CHA2DS2-VASc scores from 1 to 9, using a score of 0 as the reference score. All clinical characteristics were defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes. Results The mean age of the sample was 57.81 ±14 years. Higher CHA2DS2-VASc scores were associated with increased mortality, and the scores among the sample ranged from 0 for 8.1% to 8 for 21.7%. In the hierarchical logistic regression, after adjusting for age, sex, and relevant comorbidities, as the score increased, so did the odds for overall mortality. Conclusion In patients with IE, the CHA2DS2-VASc score may serve as a risk assessment tool with which to predict outcomes. Further studies are needed to replicate these findings.

Infective endocarditis is associated with worse outcomes in stroke: A Thailand National Database Study

BACKGROUND

There is lack of data on the association between infective endocarditis (IE) and outcomes of mortality and complications in stroke. We aimed to compare characteristics and outcomes of stroke patients with and without IE.

METHODS

We retrospectively examined the above association using data obtained from an insurance database which covers ~75% of the Thai population. All hospitalised strokes between 8 January 2003 and 31 December 2013 were included in the current study. Characteristics and outcomes were compared between stroke patients with or without IE, and then between two main stroke types. Multiple logistic regression models including propensity score-matched analyses were constructed to assess study outcomes controlling for age, sex, stroke type and comorbidities.

RESULTS

A total of 590 115 stroke patients (mean (SD) age = 64.2 ± 13.7 years; ischaemic = 51.7%; haemorrhagic = 32.6%; undetermined = 15.7%) were included, of whom 2129 (0.36%) had stroke associated with IE. After adjustment, we found that IE was significantly associated with the following complications: arrhythmias (adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) 6.94 (6.29-7.66)), sepsis (1.24 (1.01-1.52)), pneumonia (1.34 (1.17-1.53)), respiratory failure (1.43 (1.24-1.66)) and in-hospital mortality (1.29 (1.13-1.47)) (P for all <.001). Patients with haemorrhagic stroke with IE had poorer outcomes for in-hospital mortality and respiratory failure compared with their counterparts with ischaemic stroke. Propensity score-matched analysis showed similar results.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that stroke patients with IE differ from that of the general stroke population and these patients have worse outcomes. Future studies are needed to determine the best treatment strategies for stroke patients with IE.

Methicillin-susceptible and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia: Nationwide Estimates of 30-Day Readmission, In-hospital Mortality, Length of Stay, and Cost in the United States

BACKGROUND

Information on outcomes of methicillin-susceptible and -resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA and MRSA, respectively) bacteremia, particularly readmission, is scarce and requires further research to inform optimal patient care.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis using the 2014 Nationwide Readmissions Database, capturing 49.3% of US hospitalizations. We identified MSSA and MRSA bacteremia using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification among patients aged ≥18 years. Thirty-day readmission, mortality, length of stay, and costs were assessed using Cox proportional hazards regression, logistic regression, Poisson regression, and generalized linear model with gamma distribution and log link, respectively.

RESULTS

Of 92 089 (standard error [SE], 1905) patients with S. aureus bacteremia, 48.5% (SE, 0.4%) had MRSA bacteremia. Thirty-day readmission rate was 22% (SE, 0.3) overall with no difference between MRSA and MSSA, but MRSA bacteremia had more readmission for bacteremia recurrence (hazard ratio, 1.17 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.02-1.34]), higher in-hospital mortality (odds ratio, 1.15 [95% CI, 1.07-1.23]), and longer hospitalization (incidence rate ratio, 1.09 [95% CI, 1.06-1.11]). Readmission with bacteremia recurrence was particularly more common among patients with endocarditis, immunocompromising comorbidities, and drug abuse. The cost of readmission was $12 425 (SE, $174) per case overall, and $19 186 (SE, $623) in those with bacteremia recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

Thirty-day readmission after S. aureus bacteremia is common and costly. MRSA bacteremia is associated with readmission for bacteremia recurrence, increased mortality, and longer hospitalization. Efforts should continue to optimize patient care, particularly for those with risk factors, to decrease readmission and associated morbidity and mortality in patients with S. aureus bacteremia.

Thirty-Day Readmission After Infective Endocarditis: Analysis From a Nationwide Readmission Database

Background

The contemporary incidence of and reasons for early readmission after infective endocarditis (IE) are not well known. Therefore, we analyzed 30‐day readmission demographics after IE from the US Nationwide Readmission Database.

Methods and Results

We examined the 2010 to 2014 Nationwide Readmission Database to identify index admissions for a primary diagnosis of IE with survival at discharge. Incidence, reasons, and independent predictors of 30‐day unplanned readmissions were analyzed. In total, 11 217 patients (24.8%) were nonelectively readmitted within 30 days among the 45 214 index admissions discharged after IE. The most common causes of readmission were IE (20.5%), sepsis (8.7%), complications of device/graft (8.1%), and congestive heart failure (7.6%). In‐hospital mortality and the valvular surgery rates during the readmissions were 8.1% and 9.1%, respectively. Discharge to home or self‐care, undergoing valvular surgery, aged ≥60 years, and having private insurance were independently associated with lower rates of 30‐day readmission. Length of stay of ≥10 days, congestive heart failure, diabetes mellitus, renal failure, chronic pulmonary disease, peripheral artery disease, and depression were associated with higher risk. The total hospital costs of readmission were $48.7 million per year (median, $11 267; interquartile range, $6021–$25 073), which accounted for 38.6% of the total episodes of care (index+readmission).

Conclusions

Almost 1 in 4 patients was readmitted within 30 days of admission for IE. The most common reasons were IE, other infectious causes, and cardiac causes. A multidisciplinary approach to determine the surgical indications and close monitoring are necessary to improve outcomes and reduce complications in in‐hospital and postdischarge settings.

Factors associated with delayed diagnosis of infective endocarditis: A retrospective cohort study in a teaching hospital in Japan

Patients with infective endocarditis (IE), have high mortality and morbidity, however, its early diagnosis is difficult. Few studies have examined the delayed diagnosis of IE. We aimed to investigate the factors associated with the diagnostic delay of IE.A retrospective cohort study was conducted for consecutive patients diagnosed with IE in an acute care teaching hospital in Japan from April 2006 to March 2018. Time-to-diagnosis was analyzed using a multivariate Cox hazard model for determining factors associated with days required for IE diagnosis. Factors analyzed in the model included age, gender, activities of daily living, Charlson comorbidity index, presence of internal device, chief complaint, inappropriate antibiotics use, shaking chill, fever >38°C, hypoxemia, serum C-reactive protein (CRP) < 10 mg/dL, Staphylococcus aureus as causative pathogen, findings on first echocardiography, resident as a first contact physician, primary care physician as a first contact doctor, and transport measures to the clinic/hospital.There were 145 IE patients with a mean age of 70 years and 90 were male (62.1%). The median time to the diagnosis of definite IE was 13 days and median time to consider the diagnosis of IE from first clinic/hospital visit was 6 days. The time to consider IE diagnosis was significantly delayed in patients who had inappropriate prior antibiotic use (hazard ratio [HR], 1.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01 to 2.57; P = .045), in patients without fever >38°C (HR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.11 to 2.90; P = .016), in patients with serum CRP level < 10 mg/dL (HR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.01 to 2.33; P = .046), and in patients who did not use an ambulance for hospital arrival (HR, 3.18; 95% CI, 1.72 to 5.85; P < .001).Delay in considering IE diagnosis is associated with inappropriate prior antibiotics use, absence of high fever, absence of high CRP level, and use of a hospital arrival vehicle other than an ambulance. For earlier IE diagnosis, inappropriate use of antibiotics should be avoided and IE should not be excluded by relatively low level of temperature or serum CRP.

Persistence of pregabalin treatment in Taiwan: a nation-wide population-based study

Background

Pregabalin is approved for the treatment of neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, and seizure disorders, although the pivotal trials were mostly carried out in Europe or North America. The prescribing patterns among different indications in Asia have rarely been explored.

Methods

This was a population-based retrospective cohort study based on the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. Prescriptions of pregabalin were identified, and data regarding demographics, indications, co-existing diagnoses, and concomitant medications were extracted. Pregabalin users were followed for at least one year, and factors associated with persistence at one year were determined by using multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Results

Between June 2012 and December 2016, 114,437 pregabalin users (mean age 60.7 ± 15.4 years, 57.8% female) were identified. The indications included post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) (30.5%), musculoskeletal diseases other than fibromyalgia (21.2%), fibromyalgia (18.4%), diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP) (11.7%) and epilepsy (2.9%). Overall, 62.5% and 6.4% of patients achieved a maximum dose of ≥150 and ≥ 300 mg/day, respectively. The median duration of persistent pregabalin use was 28 days (interquartile range 14–118 days). The one-year persistence rate was 12.1%, and the indications associated with the highest and lowest persistence rates were epilepsy (42.4%) and PHN (6.1%), respectively. Male gender (odds ratio [OR] 1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09–1.18), older age (OR 1.01 per year, 95% CI 1.01–1.01), indications other than PHN, especially epilepsy (OR 8.04, 95% CI 7.33–8.81, PHN as reference), and a higher initial dose (OR 1.12 per 75 mg, 95% CI = 1.10–1.15) were associated with persistence at one year, whereas the initial concomitant use of antiviral agents decreased the likelihood (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.35–0.47).

Conclusions

Pregabalin prescriptions for pain disorders were limited to short-term use, which is consistent around the world. However, the average prescribed dose in Taiwan was lower than those in Western countries, and was frequently below the recommended ranges. Potential causes included the duration of natural history of PHN, and off-label prescriptions for pain in acute herpes zoster, rather than PHN, as well as intolerance to the side effects.

Long-term Outcome of Neurological Complications after Infective Endocarditis

Severe neurological complications following infective endocarditis remain a major problem with high mortality rate. The long-term neurological consequences following infective endocarditis remain uncertain. Otherwise, neurosurgeries could be performed after these complications; however, few clinical series have reported the results. Therefore, we utilized a large, nationwide database to unveil the long-term mortality and neurosurgical outcome following infective endocarditis. We included patients with a first-time discharge diagnosis of infective endocarditis between January 2001 and December 2013 during hospitalization. Patients were further divided into subgroups consisting of neurological complications under neurosurgical treatment and complications under non-neurosurgical treatment. Long-term result of symptomatic neurological complications after infective endocarditis and all-cause mortality after different kinds of neurosurgeries were analyzed. There were 16,495 patients with infective endocarditis included in this study. Symptomatic neurological complications occurred in 1,035 (6.27%) patients, of which 279 (26.96%) accepted neurosurgical procedures. Annual incidence of neurological complications gradually increased from 3.6% to 7.4% (P < 0.001). The mortality rate among these patients was higher than that among patients without complications (48.5% vs. 46.1%, P = 0.012, increased from 20% initially to nearly 50% over the 5-year follow-up). However, neurosurgery had no effect on the long-term mortality rate (50.9% vs. 47.6%, P = 0.451). Incidence of neurological complications post-infective endocarditis is increasing, and patients with these complications have higher mortality rates than patients without. Neurosurgery in these populations was not associated with higher long-term mortality. Therefore, it should not be ruled out as an option for those with neurological complications.

Increased Risk of Ischemic Stroke After Treatment of Infective Endocarditis: A Danish, Nationwide, Propensity Score-Matched Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Several studies have reported a high risk of ischemic stroke (IS) during the acute phase of infective endocarditis (IE). The long-term risk of IS after IE, however, is not fully illuminated.

METHODS

This Danish, nationwide, register-based, propensity score-matched cohort study used Cox regression to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) of IS for persons with vs without a history of left-sided IE, from 1977 to 2015.

RESULTS

We followed 9312 patients exposed to a first-time IE and 91 996 nonexposed, matched control persons. Compared to persons without IE, patients with a history of IE had a significantly increased risk of IS; the risk was highest during the first 4 weeks after IE diagnosis (HR 57.20, 95% confidence interval [CI] 45.58-71.78; P < .0001) and a moderately elevated risk persisted until 2 years after IE (4 weeks to 3 months after IE, HR 5.40, 95% CI 4.11-7.19; 3 months to 2 years after IE, HR 1.73, 95% CI 1.48-2.01). Mediation analyses showed that the higher risk of IS the first 2 years after IE could not be explained by atrial fibrillation (AF) or inserted mechanical valves in IE patients. In the period from 4 weeks to 3 months after IE diagnosis, patients treated with anticoagulative therapy had a lower risk of IS (HR 0.30, 95% CI .10-0.96; P = .04).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with a history of IE had an increased risk of IS for up to 2 years after IE diagnosis. The increased risk was unrelated to AF and inserted mechanical valves. During the initial phase after IE, patients taking an anticoagulative medication had a lower risk of IS.

Clinical Outcomes of Infective Endocarditis in Injection Drug Users

BACKGROUND

Rising rates of hospitalization for infective endocarditis (IE) have been increasingly tied to rising injection drug use (IDU) associated with the opioid epidemic.

OBJECTIVES

This study analyzed recent trends in IDU-IE hospitalization and characterized outcomes and readmissions for IDU-IE patients.

METHODS

The authors evaluated the National Readmissions Database (NRD) for IE cases between January 2010 and September 2015. Patients were stratified by IDU status and surgical versus medical management. Primary outcome was 30-day readmission and cause, with secondary outcomes including mortality, length of stay (LOS), adjusted costs, and 180-day readmission. The Kruskal-Wallis and chi-square tests were used to analyze baseline differences by IDU status. Multivariable regressions were used to analyze mortality, readmissions, LOS, and adjusted costs.

RESULTS

The survey-weighted sample contained 96,344 (77.8%) non-IDU-IE and 27,432 (22.2%) IDU-IE cases. IDU-IE increased from 15.3% to 29.1% of IE cases between 2010 and 2015 (p < 0.001). At index hospitalization, IDU-IE was associated with reduced mortality (6.8% vs. 9.6%; p < 0.001) but not 30-day readmission (23.8% vs. 22.9%; p = 0.077) relative to non-IDU-IE. Medically managed IDU-IE patients had higher LOS (β = 1.36 days; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.71 to 2.01), reduced costs (β = -$4,427; 95% CI: -$7,093 to -$1,761), and increased readmission for endocarditis (18.1% vs. 5.6%; p < 0.001), septicemia (14.0% vs. 7.3%; p < 0.001), and drug abuse (4.3% vs. 0.7%; p < 0.001) compared with medically managed non-IDU-IE. Surgically managed IDU-IE patients had increased LOS (β = 4.26 days; 95% CI: 2.73 to 5.80) and readmission for septicemia (15.6% vs. 5.2%; p < 0.001) and drug abuse (7.3% vs. 0.9%; p < 0.001) compared with non-IDU-IE.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of IDU-IE continues to rise nationally. Given the increased readmission for endocarditis, septicemia, and drug abuse, IDU-IE presents a serious challenge to current management of IE.

Valve regurgitation in patients surviving endocarditis and the subsequent risk of heart failure

BACKGROUND

Significant valve regurgitation is common in patients surviving native valve infective endocarditis (IE), however the associated risk of heart failure (HF) subsequent to hospital discharge after IE is sparsely described.

METHODS

We linked data from the East Danish Endocarditis Registry with administrative registries from 2002 to 2016 and included patients treated medically for IE who were discharged alive. Left-sided valve regurgitation was assessed by echocardiography at IE discharge and examined for longitudinal risk of HF. Multivariable adjusted Cox analysis was used to assess the associated risk of HF in patients with regurgitation (moderate or severe) compared with patients without regurgitation.

RESULTS

We included 192 patients, 87 patients with regurgitation at discharge (30 with aortic regurgitation and 57 with mitral regurgitation) and 105 patients without. The cumulative risk of HF at 5 years of follow-up was 28.7% in patients with regurgitation at IE discharge and 12.4% in patients without regurgitation; the corresponding multivariable adjusted HR was 3.53 (95% CI 1.72 to 7.25). We identified an increased associated risk of HF for patients with aortic regurgitation (HR=2.91, 95% CI 1.14 to 7.43) and mitral regurgitation (HR=3.95, 95% CI 1.80 to 8.67) compared with patients without regurgitation. During follow-up, 21.9% and 5.7% underwent left-sided valve surgery among patients with and without regurgitation.

CONCLUSION

In patients surviving IE, treated medically, we observed that severe or moderate left-sided native valve regurgitation was associated with a significantly higher risk of HF compared with patients without regurgitation at IE discharge. Close monitoring of these patients is needed to initiate surgery timely.

Nosocomial Vs. Community-Acquired Infective Endocarditis in Spain: Location, Trends, Clinical Presentation, Etiology, and Survival in the 21st Century

Major changes have occurred in the epidemiology and etiology of infective endocarditis (IE). Nevertheless, the differences between nosocomial infective endocarditis (NIE) and community-acquired infective endocarditis (CIE) have not been addressed in a population-based study. We conducted a retrospective, nationwide, temporal trend study from 1997 to 2014 analyzing the epidemiology, clinical, geographical, meteorological characteristics of patients diagnosed with IE in Spain, to distinguish NIE from CIE. Among 25,952 patients with IE (62.2 ± 18·6 years; 65.9% men), 45.9% had NIE. The incidence of IE increased from 2.83 to 3.73 due to the NIE incidence increment with a decline in CIE. Patients with NIE were older (63.8 years vs. 60.8 years, p < 0·001), presented a higher Charlson index (1.22 vs. 1.03, p < 0.001), a greater history of implanted cardiac devices (8.7% vs. 4.6%, p < 0.001), and higher mortality (31.5% vs. 21.7%, p < 0.001). The most frequent microorganism for both NIE and CIE was Staphylococcus (p < 0.001), and the North reported a higher incidence (p < 0.001). Risk factors of mortality for NIE were age, Charlson index, hemodialysis, shock, heart failure, and stroke. Risk factors for CIE included female sex, renal disease, and cardiac-device carriers. The etiology of IE shifted from community origins to mostly nosocomial-associated infections. Higher morbidity, mortality, and poorer outcomes are associated with NIE.

[Clinical features and prognosis of infective endocarditis patients with acute kidney injury]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the clinical features and treatment of infective endocarditis (IE) patients with acute kidney injury (AKI), and to compare the adverse complications and outcome with IE patients without AKI.

METHODS

Clinical data of 100 IE cases in Peking University First Hospital from January 2002 to June 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into AKI group (n=21) and non-AKI group (n=79) based on the AKI network (AKIN) definition. The clinical data and prognosis were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

The incidence of AKI was 21%. The average age was (43.7±15.7) years, and the ratio of male to female was 3 ∶1. There was no significant difference in age and gender between the two groups. Compared with non-AKI group, the AKI group had more rash and lower limbs edema (P=0.017 and P=0.001), higher urine blood and protein positive rate (both P<0.001). Lower hemoglobin and serum albumin level (both P<0.001), worse clinical cardiac function (NYHA III-IV, P=0.033) were found in AKI group compared with non-AKI group. There was no significant difference in microbiologic positive rate and pathogenic bacteria sorts between the two groups. Nine patients refused surgery, and the other 91 cases underwent cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass under general anesthesia, including 19 cases of AKI group and 72 cases of non-AKI group. The ventilation time and intensive care unit (ICU) stay time were longer in AKI group than in non-AKI group (P=0.028 and P=0.003). AKI group needed more red blood cell transfusion (P=0.010). Using the last serum creatinine before surgery as basic level, there was more new-onset AKI cases in AKI group than in non-AKI group. During the median follow-up time 42 months, there was no significant difference in perioperative and follow-up mortality between the two groups (P=0.463 and P=0.581).

CONCLUSION

More perioperation complications occurred in IE patients with AKI, but no significant difference in in-hospital and follow-up mortality between the AKI and non-AKI groups was observed.

Association Between Clinical Practice Group Adherence to Quality Measures and Adverse Outcomes Among Adult Patients With Diabetes

IMPORTANCE

Clinical practice group performance on quality measures associated with chronic disease management has become central to reimbursement. Therefore, it is important to determine whether commonly used process and disease control measures for chronic conditions correlate with utilization-based outcomes, as they do in acute disease.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the associations among clinical practice group performance on diabetes quality measures, including process measures, disease control measures, and utilization-based outcomes.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This retrospective, cross-sectional analysis examined commercial claims data from a national health insurance plan. A cohort of eligible beneficiaries with diabetes aged 18 to 65 years who were enrolled for at least 12 months from January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2014, was defined. Eligible beneficiaries were attributed to a clinical practice group based on the plurality of their primary care or endocrinology office visits. Data were analyzed from October 1, 2018, through April 30, 2019.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

For each clinical practice group, performance on current diabetes quality measures included 3 process measures (2 testing measures [hemoglobin A1c {HbA1c} and low-density lipoprotein {LDL} testing] and 1 drug use measure [statin use]) and 2 disease control measures (HbA1c <8% and LDL level <100 mg/dL). The rates of utilization-based outcomes, including hospitalization for diabetes and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), were also measured.

RESULTS

In this cohort of 652 258 beneficiaries with diabetes from 886 clinical practice groups, 42.9% were aged 51 to 60 years, and 52.6% were men. Beneficiaries lived in areas that were predominantly white (68.1%). At the clinical practice group level, except for high correlation between the 2 testing measures, correlations among different quality measures were weak (r range, 0.010-0.244). Rate of HbA1c of less than 8% had the strongest correlation with hospitalization for MACE (r = -0.046; P = .03) and diabetes (r = -0.109; P < .001). Rates of HbA1c control at the clinical practice group level were not significantly associated with likelihood of hospitalization at the individual level. Performance on the process and disease control measures together explained 3.9% of the variation in the likelihood of hospitalization for a MACE or diabetes at the individual level.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this study, performance on utilization-based measures-intended to reflect the quality of chronic disease management-was only weakly associated with direct measures of chronic disease management, namely, disease control measures. This correlation should be considered when determining the degree of financial emphasis to place on hospitalization rates as a measure of quality in treatment of chronic diseases.

Influenza vaccination and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease among Taiwanese elders-A propensity score-matched follow-up study

The present study aimed to evaluate the association between influenza vaccination and the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among elderly persons. This retrospective cohort study used the Geriatric Dataset of Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database (2000–2013). Patients aged ≥ 65 years who had been hospitalized for the first episodes of myocardial infarction were eligible. The vaccinated cohort comprised patients who received one dose of influenza vaccine within 180 days after discharge. The unvaccinated cohort included those who did not receive influenza vaccination and was propensity score–matched (1:1) for known CVD risk factors. All-cause death, acute myocardial infarction or cardiovascular death, and hospitalization for heart failure were assessed 1 year after the 181^st day after hospital discharge. Compared with the matched cohort (n = 4,350), the vaccinated cohort (n = 4,350) had significantly lower incidences of all-cause death (hazard ratios [HR] 0.82, 95% CI [confidence interval] 0.73–0.92), myocardial infarction or cardiovascular death (HR 0.84, 95% CI 0.74–0.96), and hospitalization for heart failure (HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.74–0.92). The association between influenza vaccination and reduction of CVDs was similar across different subgroups. Cumulative incidence curves of the CVDs of interest for the two cohorts separated within the initial 3 months of follow-up (P < 0.05). Influenza vaccination was associated with a reduced risk of CVD in the elderly population with previous myocardial infarction.

Diabetes Mellitus: An Independent Risk Factor of In-Hospital Mortality in Patients with Infective Endocarditis in a New Era of Clinical Practice

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a severe disease with a hospital mortality rate of 17–25%. Early identification of IE patients with high risk of mortality may improve their clinical outcomes. Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) who develop infective diseases are associated with worse outcomes. This study aimed to define the impact of DM on long-term mortality in IE patients. A total of 412 patients with definite IE from February 1999 to June 2012 were enrolled in this observational study and divided into 2 groups: group 1, patients with DM (n = 72) and group 2, patients without DM (n = 340). The overall in-hospital mortality rate for both groups combined was 20.2% and was higher in group 1 than in group 2 (41.7% vs. 16.5%, p < 0.01). Compared to patients without DM, patients with DM were older and associated with higher incidence of chronic diseases, less drug abuse, higher creatinine levels, and increased risk of Staphylococcus aureus infection (all p < 0.05). Moreover, they were more likely to have atypical clinical presentation and were associated with longer IE diagnosis time (all p < 0.05). In multivariable analysis, DM is an independent and significant predictor of mortality. The prognosis of IE patients with DM is still poor. Early identification and more aggressive treatment may be considered in IE patients with DM.

Long-term causes of death in patients with infective endocarditis who undergo medical therapy only or surgical treatment: a nationwide population-based study

OBJECTIVES

It is known that patients surviving infective endocarditis have a poor long-term prognosis; however, few studies have addressed the long-term causes of death in patients surviving the initial hospitalization.

METHODS

Using Danish administrative registries, we identified patients admitted to a hospital with 1st time infective endocarditis in the period from January 1996 to December 2014, who were alive at the time of discharge. The study population was categorized into (i) patients undergoing medical therapy only and (ii) patients undergoing surgical and medical treatment. We examined the cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular causes of death. Using the Cox analysis, we investigated the associated risk of dying from a specific prespecified cause of death (heart failure, infective endocarditis and stroke) within the surgery group when compared with the medically treated group.

RESULTS

We identified 5576 patients: 4220 patients belonged to the medically treated group and 1356 patients to the surgery group. At the 10-year follow-up, the mortality rate was 63.1% and 41.6% in the medically treated group and the surgery group, respectively. Cardiovascular disease was the most frequent cause of death in both groups accounting for 52.5% in the medically treated group and 55.2% in the surgery group. Patients undergoing surgery were associated with a lower risk of dying from heart failure and stroke when compared with medically treated patients [hazard ratio = 0.66 (95% confidence interval: 0.46-0.94) and hazard ratio = 0.59 (95% confidence interval: 0.37-0.96), respectively].

CONCLUSIONS

No major differences were found in the main causes of death between groups. Patients in the surgical group were associated with a lower risk of dying from heart failure and stroke when compared with medically treated patients.

Risk of stroke subsequent to infective endocarditis: A nationwide study

BACKGROUND

The aim of the study was to investigate the associated risk of stroke after discharge of infective endocarditis (IE) in patients with stroke during IE admission compared with patients without stroke during IE admission.

METHODS

Using Danish nationwide registries, we identified nonsurgically treated patients with IE discharged alive in the period from 1996 to 2016. The study population was grouped into (1) patients with stroke during IE admission and (2) patients without stroke during IE admission. Multivariable adjusted Cox proportional-hazard analysis was used to compare the associated risk of stroke between groups.

RESULTS

We identified 4,284 patients with IE, of whom 239 (5.6%) had a stroke during IE admission. We identified differentials in the associated risk of stroke during follow-up between groups (P = .006 for interaction with time). The associated risk of stroke was higher in patients with stroke during IE admission with a 1-year follow-up, HR = 3.21 (95% CI 1.66-6.20), compared with patients without stroke during IE admission. From 1 to 5 years of follow-up, we identified no difference in the associated risk of stroke between groups, HR = 0.91 (95% CI 0.33-2.50).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with nonsurgically treated IE with a stroke during IE admission were at significant higher associated risk of subsequent stroke within the first year of follow-up as compared with patients without a stroke during IE admission. This risk difference was not evident beyond 1 year of discharge. These findings underline the need for identification of causes and mechanisms of recurrent strokes after IE to develop preventive means.

Relationship Between Statin Use and Outcomes in Patients Having Cardiac Arrest (from a Nationwide Cohort Study in Taiwan)

Pretreatment with statins is associated with improved outcomes in severe sepsis, acute coronary syndrome, and stroke. Patients with cardiac arrest experience sepsis-like syndrome and ischemia reperfusion injuries in the heart and brain. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of statin use before cardiac arrest on outcomes in cardiac arrest patients. Medical records of 142,131 adult patients who experienced nontraumatic cardiac arrest and were resuscitated between 2004 and 2011 were analyzed. Patients were grouped into 2 groups: the "statin group" comprised patients who had received statin treatment for at least 30 days before the cardiac arrest event; the "never statin group" comprised patients who had no statin use within 30 days before the event. Patients with previous statin treatment had better chance of survival to hospital discharge (6.1% vs 4.3%, p <0.0001) and 1-year survival (4.8% vs 3.2%, p <0.0001) after propensity score matching. Previous statin use was an independent predictor for 1-year survival (adjusted odds ratio 1.41, 95% confidence interval 1.16 to 1.71; p = 0.001). A favorable outcome effect of statin on 1-year survival was observed in the presence of diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and Charlson Comorbidity Index score greater than 5 in the subgroup analysis. In conclusion, statin use before cardiac arrest is associated with 1-year survival in a propensity score-matched nationwide cohort study.

Use of lipid-lowering agents is not associated with improved outcomes for tuberculosis patients on standard-course therapy: A population-based cohort study

Objectives

Animal and ex vitro studies suggested lipid-lowering agents (LLAs) may be used as an adjunct to standard anti- tuberculosis (TB) treatment. No human study has been conducted to date. Using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD), the current population-based cohort study sought to examine the association between use of LLAs and outcomes of patients with pulmonary TB receiving anti-TB treatment.

Methods

Using a NHIRD from 2003 to 2010, this population-based cohort study retrospectively examined the association between LLAs (statins or fibrates) and the outcomes of patients with pulmonary TB receiving anti-TB treatment.

Results

A total of 1452 adult patients newly diagnosed with pulmonary TB during the study period were identified and compared with 5808 matched patients. In the LAA cohort, 1258 received statin, and 295 received fibrate. Compared with patients who did not take LLA, patients who took oral LLAs had similar incidence of treatment completion at 9, 12, and 24 months.

Conclusions

Neither statins nor fibrates provide clinical benefit superior to that achieved with standard anti-tuberculosis treatment. Future clinical trials should investigate the effects of statins and fibrates on short-course standard anti-TB therapy.

Usefulness of the CHA2DS2-VASc Score to Predict the Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death and Ventricular Arrhythmias in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

Sudden cardiac death (SCD), the most devastating manifestation of ventricular arrhythmias (VAs), is the leading cause of mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We hypothesized that the CHA₂DS₂-VASc score, consisting of age and several clinical risk factors, could be used to estimate the individual risk of SCD/VAs for AF patients. From year 2000 to 2011, 288,181 newly-diagnosed AF patients without antecedent SCD/VAs were identified from "Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database." During the follow-up of 1,065,751 person-years, 11,166 patients experienced SCD/VAs with an annual risk of 1.05% which increased from 0.34% for patients with a CHA₂DS₂-VASc score of 0% to 2.63% for those with a score of 9. The CHA₂DS₂-VASc score was a significant predictor of SCD/VAs with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.21 (95% confidence interval 1.20 to 1.22) per 1 point increment of the score. As the CHA₂DS₂-VASc score increased from 1 to 9, the hazard ratio of SCD/VAs continuously increased from 1.28 to 4.17 compared with patients with a CHA₂DS₂-VASc score of 0. In conclusion, CHA₂DS₂-VASc score was a convenient scoring system which could be used to predict the risk of SCD/VAs in AF patients in addition to its ability for stroke risk stratification.

Herpes zoster increased risk of neuralgic amyotrophy: a retrospective, population-based matched cohort study

Although neuralgic amyotrophy (NA) has occasionally been reported to be associated with reactivated herpes zoster, their associated risk remains unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the risk of developing NA following preceding herpes zoster. The authors used the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan to select 41,548 patients with newly diagnosed herpes zoster during the period 2000 to 2010 and randomly extracted 166,192 matched control subjects. All participants in the study and control groups were followed for 3 months after the diagnosis to identify those who developed NA. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were performed to evaluate the subsequent risk of NA. Twenty-one subjects from the group with herpes zoster (0.05%) developed NA over the 3-month period and 46 from the group without herpes zoster (0.03%). The patients with herpes zoster had a higher risk of developing NA (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.408, 95% confidence interval = 1.013-2.319, P = 0.030). In the patients with herpes zoster, female sex, age ≥ 65, hepatitis E virus (HEV), and having had a recent infectious event including pneumonia and influenza were risk factors for developing NA (adjusted HR 2.746, 1.998, 2.735, 2.016, and 1.718, respectively, all P < 0.05). Patients with herpes zoster attack have a higher risk of developing NA over a 3-month period after diagnosis, especially those who are female, age ≥ 65, HEV, or have experienced a recent infectious event or pneumonia and influenza.

Increased risk of adhesive capsulitis among patients with gout: A nationwide population-based matched-cohort study

AIM

The pathophysiology of adhesive capsulitis (AC) is uncertain. We noted patients with gout seemed to have higher incidence rates of AC than other people in our clinic. We did not know the true relationship between gout and AC because there are no published reports so far. The aim of this study is to verify the risk of developing AC following gout exposure.

METHOD

The authors used the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan to select 39 094 subjects with newly diagnosed gout and randomly extracted 78 188 matched control subjects. All of the subjects in study and control groups were followed until the event of AC. Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were performed to evaluate the subsequent risk of AC.

RESULTS

There was significance since the 8th year of tracking that patients with gout had a higher risk for AC (log-rank test P < .001). Cox regression showed the adjusted hazard ratio of developing AC for patients with gout was 1.71 (95% CI = 1.451-2.565, P < .001) than the control group. Stratified analysis showed that gout patients have a higher risk for AC regardless of diabetes mellitus, stroke or carotid artery disease (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that gout is an independent risk factor for developing AC.

Comparing deep neural network and other machine learning algorithms for stroke prediction in a large-scale population-based electronic medical claims database

Electronic medical claims (EMCs) can be used to accurately predict the occurrence of a variety of diseases, which can contribute to precise medical interventions. While there is a growing interest in the application of machine learning (ML) techniques to address clinical problems, the use of deep-learning in healthcare have just gained attention recently. Deep learning, such as deep neural network (DNN), has achieved impressive results in the areas of speech recognition, computer vision, and natural language processing in recent years. However, deep learning is often difficult to comprehend due to the complexities in its framework. Furthermore, this method has not yet been demonstrated to achieve a better performance comparing to other conventional ML algorithms in disease prediction tasks using EMCs. In this study, we utilize a large population-based EMC database of around 800,000 patients to compare DNN with three other ML approaches for predicting 5-year stroke occurrence. The result shows that DNN and gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT) can result in similarly high prediction accuracies that are better compared to logistic regression (LR) and support vector machine (SVM) approaches. Meanwhile, DNN achieves optimal results by using lesser amounts of patient data when comparing to GBDT method.

Association between influenza vaccination and the reduced risk of acute kidney injury among older people: A nested case-control study

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to determine whether vaccination against influenza is associated with a reduced risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) in a nationwide cohort of adults aged ≥65 years.

METHODS

We investigated a total of 13,270 patients aged ≥65 years who were hospitalized for AKI between 2000 and 2013 from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. Each AKI case was matched with one control subject according to duration of follow-up, age, sex, monthly income, urbanization level, and baseline comorbidities. Odds ratios (ORs) for AKI associated with exposure to the influenza vaccine in the previous year were calculated in a nested case-control analysis.

RESULTS

Influenza vaccination in the previous year was associated with a lower risk of AKI (adjusted OR 0.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.63-0.72). Compared with a reference group of unvaccinated individuals with no influenza infection, vaccination with no influenza infection was associated with a lower risk of AKI (adjusted OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.64-0.73). Lack of vaccination and presence of influenza infection was associated with a higher risk of AKI (adjusted OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.57-2.01), whereas the risk of AKI was insignificant in vaccinated patients who developed influenza (adjusted OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.69-1.18).

CONCLUSIONS

The risk of AKI was 37% lower among older people who received vaccination against influenza in a real-world setting. Further work is required to clarify causality.

Management Considerations in Infective Endocarditis: A Review

IMPORTANCE

Infective endocarditis occurs in approximately 15 of 100 000 people in the United States and has increased in incidence. Clinicians must make treatment decisions with respect to prophylaxis, surgical management, specific antibiotics, and the length of treatment in the setting of emerging, sometimes inconclusive clinical research findings.

OBSERVATIONS

Community-associated infective endocarditis remains the predominant form of the disease; however, health care accounts for one-third of cases in high-income countries. As medical interventions are increasingly performed on older patients, the disease incidence from cardiac implanted electronic devices is also increasing. In addition, younger patients involved with intravenous drug use has increased in the past decade and with it the proportion of US hospitalization has increased to more than 10%. These epidemiological factors have led to Staphylococcus aureus being the most common cause in high-income countries, accounting for up to 40% of cases. The mainstays of diagnosis are still echocardiography and blood cultures. Adjunctive imaging such as cardiac computed tomographic and nuclear imaging can improve the sensitivity for diagnosis when echocardiography is not conclusive. Serological studies, histopathology, and polymerase chain reaction assays have distinct roles in the diagnosis of infective endocarditis when blood culture have tested negative with the highest yield obtained from serological studies. Increasing antibiotic resistance, particularly to S aureus, has led to a need for different antibiotic treatment options such as newer antibiotics and combination therapy regimens. Surgery can confer a survival benefit to patients with major complications; however, the decision to pursue surgery must balance the risks and benefits of operations in these frequently high-risk patients.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

The epidemiology and management of infective endocarditis are continually changing. Guidelines provide specific recommendations about management; however, careful attention to individual patient characteristics, pathogen, and risk of sequela must be considered when making therapeutic decisions.